Carrot Cake

2 c. sugar

1 1/3 c. vegetable oil

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. plus 1 Tbsp. flour

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 pound carrots, grated*

1 c. raisins

1 c. chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour 2 (9x2 in) round cake pans.

Beat sugar, eggs, and oil on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla. 

In another bowl, mix 2 c. flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low, slowly add dry ingredients to mixture.

In another bowl, toss the carrots, raisins, walnuts, and the 1 Tbsp. of flour. Stir into batter with a spatula.

Divide batter between prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30-35 minutes more, until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Cool in pans for 15 minutes, turn out on baking rack, and cool completely.

Frost with Cream Cheese Icing.

*This recipe is from Ina Garten’s cookbook Barefoot Contessa Foolproof. Ina recommends grating the carrots by hand on a box grater because she says food processing them will cause the carrots to be too wet and the cake might fall. I bought the bagged prepared julienned carrots and ran a knife through them several times to make a very fine dice, and that worked fine.