Marvelous Carrot Cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (eyeball it)
• 3 cups grated carrots (about 3 large carrots) Don't worry if you don't quite get 3 cups... it'll still taste great! :)
  
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces (1 normal pkg.) cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. 
2. Grate carrots!
   
3. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
4.  Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, 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.

To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.

This carrot cake takes a little time, but it isn't really hard to make. It's so worth it in the end. This is probably the best carrot cake I've had, and that's not just because I made it. ;)

Just make sure that you have enough time to grate the carrots!


Adapted from this recipe at allrecipes.com