The Absolute Best Carrot Cake!

I know, I know. You can't believe I'm posting another decadent recipe. But listen. It's CARROT cake. And it's my birthday, so I had to have a cake, right? And this one is a gem. Truly the best carrot cake you will ever taste, and this is no exaggeration. Plus it's easy to make.

The only part that I can't stand is grating the carrots. And they must be grated. If you have a food processor with those disc attachments then you are all set. Or if your husband, like mine, doesn't mind using a hand grater. I hate those things. I always end up cutting up my knuckles.

I've been celebrating my birthday early this year. My wonderful yoga students took me out for a delicious lunch. And we had a lovely dinner last night at our friends' home. I brought this carrot cake. Everyone agreed that it is the best ever. And so easy! Did I mention that?

I think this cake would be fantastic even without the cream cheese frosting. But it's traditional, so I added it. If you prefer your cake naked, this is the cake for you!

I found the original recipe in a massive cookbook called The Best Recipe. I got rid of almost all my cookbooks when I moved to Florida, but this one is a keeper. It contains recipes for everything from soups and salads to desserts. Written by the staff of Cooks Illustrated, it is the last word on how to prepare almost everything. I cut the recipe in half because I didn't need a giant sheet cake. You can easily double my recipe to make a 9 x 13 sheet cake instead of a single round layer.

Ingredients:

1 and 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 

1/2 pound grated carrots

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup avocado oil (or coconut oil, melted)

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease or spray a round cake pan and set aside.

Sift dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a food processor or small bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until well combined. Add the oil in a slow stream, beating as you add, until the mixture is completely emulsified. Combine wet and dry ingredients, stirring gently. Fold in carrots and raisins. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350F for about 30 minutes or until the top begins to brown. Let cake cool on a rack in the pan for about 2 hours before turning it out. Makes about 8 servings.