With the holidays upon us, the baking frenzy has begun! I am not a great cook but I love to bake…my figure and shape attest to it.

While we were overseas, I baked every Tuesday and Thursday for my Latvian house church group and our English Club. They enjoyed trying new things and I loved to see their happy faces when they tried graham cracker crust or Oreo dessert for the first time. I would even pack my suitcase with delicacies that I could not find in the Baltics…anticipating all of the things I could make for them. This cake is one that they literally ate up!

By far the very best Carrot Cake…EVER…I  have made this one for almost 30 years, borrowing the recipe from an old friend, Betty Shields. We worked together back-in-the-day and she had published her very own cookbook at the urging of her friends and family.

I have literally abused that poor book! I was a newlywed then and not a very good cook. I have tried almost every recipe in there and all of the tips that go along with it. She was fabulous; bringing in her desserts to our Re/Max office and causing us all to gain a few pounds.

I lost contact with her years ago but her recipes live on in my kitchen. You will enjoy this super-moist and absolutely perfect carrot cake for many generations to come. It’s a keeper!

Knock-your-socks-off Carrot Cake

The great thing about this recipe is you literally put the ingredients in a bowl and mix by hand all at once….that’s it!

I have included the original copy (you can see how USED it is!) and also listed the ingredients for you to make it easier to read.

1 1/2 c. corn oil

2 c. sugar

3 eggs

2 c. flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

1 c. coconut (optional!)

2 c. shredded carrots

1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans

1 small can crushed pineapple

Mix all together in one bowl, pour into 13×9 pan, sprayed with baking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-50 minutes; until done, or toothpick comes out clean. May frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 C salted butter
1 8oz Cream cheese
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1/4 C milk
4 1/2 C confectioners/Powdered sugar

Let cream cheese and butter soften at room temperature. Mix together first four ingredients with one cup of powdered sugar…then slowly add the rest until desired consistency. Delicious!

 

Enjoy, share and Pin away!

 

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