Old Fashion Carrot Cake

Ingredients

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups sugar (I used less then 2 cups and used half white half coconut sugar. Next time will try all coconut).

1 cup canola oil (I don’t use junk oils. I used almond oil or avocado. 

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 to 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups grated carrots

FROSTING:

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons 2% milk

1 cup chopped walnuts, optional 

Optional: Orange and green food coloring

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and oil. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; beat into egg mixture. Stir in carrots.

2. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. I use an oblong cake pan. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

3. For frosting, in another large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Add enough milk to achieve desired spreading consistency. Reserve 1/2 cup frosting for decorating if desired. If desired, stir walnuts into remaining frosting. 

4. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. If decorating the cake, tint 1/4 cup reserved frosting orange and 1/4 cup green. Cut a small hole in the corner of pastry or plastic bag; insert #7 round pastry tip. Fill the bag with orange frosting. Pipe 16 carrots on top of cake, so each piece will have a carrot. Using #67 leaf pastry tip and the green frosting, pipe a leaf at the top of each carrot. 

5. Store cake in the refrigerator.