The Joy of Cooking's Carrot Cake and The Cure

I recently signed up to do The 8 week Cure with many others at Apartment Therapy. I am currently reading Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan's Book—Apartment Therapy: The eight-step home cure. "The Cure," to boil it down, is an eight week program meant to help organize and make healthy our living spaces. There are several things you do including declutters, room remedies, and more. My favorite thing is to bring home flowers once a week for my home. I always put my flowers on our table because then I'll actually clean it up! Dirty dishes and flowers don't really match, you know?

And, to top it off this week, the cure is all about deep cleaning the kitchen. INTO it! My kitchen really needed it! One of the things you do is a new recipe. While I bought ingredients for a couple of new recipes, today I felt like I wanted to revisit a recipe I haven't had a chance to make for awhile! I thought I'd share because it's one of my favorites! It's The Joy of Cooking's Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing. I made sure and got it onto one of my recipe cards today so that I wouldn't have to drag the book out again for it! 

   

1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour 
⅔ cup vegetable oil 
3 large egg 
1 ½ peeled and finely grated cup carrot 
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped 
1 cup sugar 
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
½ teaspoon ground cloves 
½ freshly grated or ground teaspoon nutmeg 
½ teaspoon ground allspice 
½ teaspoon salt    

OPTIONAL: 
1 cup golden raisins
½ cup crushed pineapple, lightly drained 

 

 

1. Have all ingredients at room temperature, 68°F to 70°F.   

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

3. Grease and flour two 9x2-inch round pans or two 8x8-inch pans or one 13x9-inch pan, or line the bottom with wax paper.

4. In a large bowl, throroughly whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, all-spice, and salt.

5. Add the vegetable oil and eggs, and stir together well with a rubber spatula or beat on low speed.

6. Stir in the carrots, walnuts, raisins and pineapple (if using).

7. Scrape the batter into the pans(s) and spread evenly.

8. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

 

 

For me, I always do the pineapple, but never the raisins or walnuts. I also added coconut and vanilla for my own special twist! 

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Beat 8 oz. cold cream cheese (not rock solid, but it means you can use it straight out of the refrigerator) with 5 Tbsp. softened butter and 2 tsp. vanilla until combined. Gradually add 2 c. powdered sugar that has been sifted after measuring. Continue to add more sifted powdered sugar until you reach a consistency and sweetness that fits your taste.

 

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