A cake made with love

Tomorrow is Troy's birthday! I'm making his cake today, because tomorrow we'll be quite busy. Troy loves chocolate, and I've always make him some kind of chocolate birthday cake, but this year, I felt compelled to make him a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

This is my mom's recipe and it's very good. She made it fairly often, and also would use the cream cheese frosting on brownies, which we loved.

Baerbel's Carrot Cake
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
2 tsp. baking soda
3 cups grated carrots
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans are best; walnuts work, too)
a pinch of nutmeg

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1 stick (8 Tbl.) butter
1 box confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Mix together all dry ingredients.
2. Beat eggs & add oil.
3. Combine dry ingredients with egg mixture.
4. Fold in carrots & nuts.
5. Pour into three greased 9-inch layer pans (floured & buttered, parchment circles in bottom).
6. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes OR at 300F for 45 minutes (both cooking times work*).

I left out the nuts to avoid any potential controversy with the boys.
*I used 8-inch tins and had to keep them in the oven for at least 10 minutes more. I'm not really a great baker, and I do have a wonky oven, so just use your good sense according to your oven.
In addition to using the recipe from my beloved mom, I pressed the lovely Grater Lady into service to grate the carrots.

Her mere presence makes me smile.

More good vibes emmanating from the kitchen.
I had just enough grated carrots left over to make the delicious carrot salad from Cooking for Madam by Marta Sgubin, so I offer you a spontaneous bonus carrot recipe.

Simply toss grated carrots (and chopped parsley, if you have it) with Marta's fantastic vinaigrette:

1 tsp. dry mustard (I use two b/c I like it zingy)
1 1/2 tsps. Dijon mustard
1/4 balsamic vinegar
3/4 olive oil

I ate the salad for breakfast; it's delicious.
It was fun to whip up the frosting in the KA, as it presents a rare opportunity to crank it up to 10 and let 'er rip. That is, after the powdered sugar is blended in. The recipe makes a lot of frosting, and I used most of it. My mom used to scrape out every last bit from the bowl whenever she made anything, and my sister and I would get so exasperated with her, because when it came time to lick the beaters and the bowl, there was hardly anything there! We always complained and swore we'd do things differently when we grew up, but of course I now usually do things the exact same way. Sometimes I do manage to restrain myself for the sake of the boys.
Normally, I wouldn't use so much frosting, but Troy's got a high tolerance for sugar, and the top of the cake caved in a little.

Next, it was time for the final flourish, in the form of tiny marzipan carrots. These sweet decorations were sent to me by Halloumi, ambassador of good cheer, always sending love around the world.

I hope Troy likes it.

We know the frosting tastes good.