Amazing Carrot Cake

We have been under the weather here at our house this week. We've all caught this nasty stomach bug that's been flying through the neighborhood. I was feeling so lucky to have not gotten it (after my hubby and two kids already did)--but I jinxed myself because I caught it and it seems that I caught it worse than the rest. Oh fun!

Anyways--the point of this post was that I've been out of the cooking mode because of this fun virus. So I wanted to post an incredible carrot cake recipe that I've been meaning to add forever. I got this from Melanie over at My Kitchen Cafe. She has an amazing blog and all of the recipes I've tried of hers are awesome. This cake was no exception! I took it to a church fundraiser and it sold for the highest amount of any of the baked goods. It is amazing! The frosting is delicious and the cake is oh so moist! Try it...you won't be disappointed.

Simple Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
from Cooks Illustrated (found on Melanie's blog)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp table salt
1 lb. medium carrots (6 to 7 carrots), peeled
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil , safflower oil, or canola oil

Frosting: (Melanie doubled the recipe below to frost the two 9-inch cakes she made--I did too)
8 oz cream cheese, softened but still cool
5 Tbsp unsalted butter softened, but still cool
1 Tbsp sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 c. confectioners' sugar

Directions:Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13 by 9-inch baking pan (I used two 9-inch round pans).Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in large bowl; set aside. In a food processor fitted with large shredding disk , shred carrots (you should have about 3 cups); transfer carrots to bowl and set aside.In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or in large bowl and using hand-held mixer), beat granulated and brown sugars and eggs on medium-high until thoroughly combined, about 45 seconds. Reduce speed to medium; with mixer running, add oil in slow, steady stream, being careful to pour oil against inside of bowl. Increase speed to high and mix until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 45 seconds to 1 minute longer. Turn off mixer and stir in carrots and dry ingredients by hand until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.Pour into prepared pan and bake until toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time (I didn't rotate my 9-inch pans--as instructed by Melanie). Cool cake to room temperature in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours (I cooled my cakes about 30 minutes and then inverted them onto a wire rack to cool completely also as instructed by Melanie).When cake is cool, mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla at medium high speed in clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment (or in large bowl using handheld mixer) until well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until very fluffy, about 1 minute. Frost and eat!

**Check Melanie's blog for the exact weight measurements of the dry ingredients if you would like them