Carrot Cake

I really like carrot cake, but unfortunately it's hard to find it without nuts in it unless you make it yourself. This one is a winner. It tastes great without the frosting as a muffin (or put a strudel topping on it), but it's amazing with the frosting. Consider it dairy/protein topping for breakfast ;) If you have a food processor, shredding the carrots is a breeze. By hand it goes quicker than you think, but be sure to use the larger size grater.


4 eggs
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 c applesauce
1 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 t vanilla extract
2 c all-purpose flour (or 1 c wheat/1 c all-purpose)
2 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 t ground cinnamon
4 c grated carrots
1 c chopped pecans and/or raisins (optional)

FROSTING
1/2 c butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 c chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan, cupcake tin, or 2 bread pans.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, applesauce, sugar, and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans or raisins if desired. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 min (25 minutes for cupcakes, 35-40 for bread pans), or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

For Frosting: In a medium bowl, whip together the very soft butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar and 1 t vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cake. Top with nuts if desired.

CAKE COST: $2.85
Eggs: $.40 (Sunmart)
Applesauce: $.20 (I make my own)
Sugar: $.40 (Aldi)
Flour: $.35 (Sunmart)
Carrots: $1.50 (Cashwise)
Spices: From Pantry

Frosting: $1.70
Butter: $.40 (Sunmart)
Cream Cheese $.80 (Sunmart)
Sugar $.50 (Aldi)

Is it a bad thing if I admit that I ate two of these and finished of what my youngest didn't eat of his???