Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

 

During a pandemic food shopping spree, back when we were concerned about the food supply, I bought a bag of self-rising flour. I had never used self-rising flour, but it was the only kind of flour available. Fast forward 15 months and I still had not broken into the stash of self-rising flour. How do you use it? Well, this recipe for carrot cake answered that question deliciously.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Food52.com
Serves 12

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil (I like grapeseed)

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1/2 cup spelt flour (or whole wheat)

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

3 cups grated carrots

cooking spray, or a bit of butter

For the frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick butter, room temperature

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 tsp vanilla (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the middle position. Grease a bundt pan with cooking spray or rub with butter.

In a medium bowl combine sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat well with a hand mixer.

In a large bowl add flours, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon and whisk until well combined. Add the wet mixture to the dry, stirring with a whisk until evenly wet and smooth. Fold in the carrots with a rubber scraper.

Transfer the batter to the bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a baking rack for an hour, then flip onto a serving plate.

Make the frosting in a mixing bowl using a hand mixer to cream the cheese, butter and confectioners's sugar. Add the vanilla, if using, and cream until smooth and light. 

Serve the cake slices with dollops of frosting. Refrigerate the frosting and freeze any part of the cake that will not be eaten in three days.