a celebration

Last night at work I witnessed a family celebrating an engagement. Their smiles and laughter was contagious. A few times I even caught the young couple holding hands and casting sweet glances.

I was SO inspired by their excitement I decided to bake my hubbys favorite kind of cake from scratch and surprise him with it this evening after work.

As a woman of the South, Paula Deen's website is one of the first places I looked

Grandma Heirs' Carrot Cake

Ingredients
Butter, for pans
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 c vege oil
3 c grated carrots
1 1/2 c chopped pecans

Frosting Ingredients:
2 (8-ounce) pkgs cream cheese at room temp
1 stick salted butter at room temp
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c pecans


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease, flour, and line pans with parchment paper.

In large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Add eggs and vege oil using a hand mixer until well combined. Fold in carrots and pecans.

Pour into pans. Bake for approx 40 mins.

Cool for 5 mins, remove from pans, place on wax paper and allow to cool completely.

For the frosting:
Add all ingredients, except nuts, into medium bowl and beat until fluffy. Fold in nuts.

Frost and stack.