Sweet Baby Jack Carrot Cake

For her birthday, my friend Heather's husband made her this carrot cake.

I'd been meaning to give this one a try ever since I saw the recipe a couple of years ago (I know! I don't know what I was waiting for!). Seeing that cake on her blog gave me the push I needed.

I made this for Easter, and it was a total hit.

By the time we left our family get-together, half the cake was gone.

Sweet Baby Jack Carrot Cake

(Original recipe by Jackie Mullins, adapted by Paula Deen)



Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing pans
• Flour, for dusting pans

For the cake:

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 (4-ounce) jars strained carrot baby food
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

For the frosting:

• 1/2 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (16-ounce) box confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

(Fyi, I doubled this recipe. One recipe of this frosting wasn't enough for me to frost a whole cake. What can I say? I like frosting...)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (8 or 9-inch) cake pans

For the cake:

Mix together the flour, cinnamon and sugar in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and blend well with a handheld electric mixer for about 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Invert onto lint-free dishcloth, or waxed paper, and allow to cool completely.

For the frosting:

Mix all ingredients with handheld electric mixer and blend until smooth and creamy.
Frost layers, top, and sides of cooled cake.

Try topping with chopped pecans to add some decoration and flavor.