Carrot Cake - Recipe for a Traditional Sweet and Spicy Treat

This recipe makes a traditional, moist carrot cake with a very rich, cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients for the carrot cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ tablespoons pie spice blend (see recipe below)
½ teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions for the carrot cake:
1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder.

3. Stir in the pie spice blend and salt.

4. In a another bowl mix together the oil, sugar and eggs using a hand held electric mixture.

5. Stir this liquid mixture into the flour mixture.

6. Add the carrots and walnuts and stir well.

7. Place the batter into a greased and floured 13 by 9 inch baking pan.

8. Place the pan into the oven and bake for 1 ½ hours or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.

9. Let cool slightly before frosting.

Ingredients for the carrot cake cream cheese frosting:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese - room temperature
½ cup (1 stick) butter - room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

Directions for the carrot cake cream cheese frosting:
1. Mix together the cream cheese and butter in a bowl using a hand held electric mixture.

2. Stir in the vanilla extract.

3. Mix in the confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time until well blended.

4. Makes approximately 3 cups of frosting.

Pie Spice Blend
In addition to being used in the carrot cake recipe, this spice blend can also be used when making pumpkin, apple or other types of pie. This recipe makes approximately 3 tablespoons of pie spice blend.

Ingredients for the pie spice blend:
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice

Directions for the pie spice blend:
1. Mix all the ingredients together

2. Store in a container, such as a recycled spice bottle, until ready to use.