Prize Winning Carrot Cake

This recipe has actually been entered in the Langholm Show. It sat in the home industry tent being judged while I walked around the show grounds admiring the best of the local livestock and talking to stall holders about the merits various of oil tanks. When the tent was re-opened after the judging, my cake had placed third! It turns out that I was only supposed to ice the top of the cake (why?) and I had iced the whole darned thing. Do you think my little cake would have placed better, had I known the rules for presentation?? I'll let you know next September when the Langholm Show comes around again.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F or about 180 C

2 cups plain flour
2 cups sugar - If you think this is too much sugar, use a bit less. I do.
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups of finely shredded carrots
1 cup cooking oil
4 eggs
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe listed below)

Grease and lightly flour two cake tins or pans and set them aside (for years I only had one cake pan so I had to bake the cake batter in two goes)

In a large mixing bowl, blend the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon. Then add the carrots, oil and eggs. Beat with an electric mixe until all is combined. Be careful as some of the flour will hide in the bottom of your mixing bowl. You'll only find this unblended flour as you are pouring the cake mix into the pans.

Divide the cake mix into your cake tins and pop them into the oven. Bake them for about 35 to 40 minutes. Keep an eye on them. If they're starting to brown on the top, they're done.

Remove the cakes from their tins onto wire racks and let them cool completely. While they're cooling you can tackle the frosting.

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups of powdered sugar or confectioners sugar

In a mixing bowl and an electric mixer, blend the cream cheese and butter together. Add in the vanilla and mix until light and fluffy. Gradually sift in 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Then keep sifting in the rest of the powdered sugar while beating until you've reached spreading consistency.

Now you can frost your cake.