PS: to assignments...

Herewith is the recipe for Carrot Cake, as printed in the original Camellia City cookbook. It's not hard, just troublesome, with having to grate three cups of fresh carrots. But the last time I noticed the price of getting one already finished with cream cheese frosting and cute little orange carrots of buttercream decorating the top was around $15. Plus not nearly the same amount of love as the one that comes from the kitchen of Mom...

Carrot Cake
2 cups plain flour, sifted, along with 2 tsp. of soda, 2 tsp. of cinnamon, and 1 tsp. salt (which I often omit, or reduce to a good shake from the salt shaker)
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups cooking oil (recipe specifies Wesson)
3 cups freshly grated carrots

All the instructions from the cookbook: Mix together.
Personally: I break the eggs in the mixer bowl, get them blended really well, slowly add sugar to mix thoroughly, then drizzle in the oil. Mix well. Add dry ingredients, mix well. Turn off mixer, add carrots, stirring well. Divide equally into two eight inch round layer pans. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min. Test with toothpick inserted into center to be sure it is done.
Cool on racks. I slice the layers in half, horizontally, with toothpicks inserted to try to slice them fairly evenly with a serrated bread knife with long blade, to make four layers. I've put a large dinner plate down cardboard, traced a circle and cut out, covered with foil, to use as a base, for transporting, so it is flat, instead of concave like putting it on a dinner plate.

Frosting:
1 - 8 ounce block of cream cheese (no point in going the no-fat/low-fat route at this point)
1 - stick butter or oleo
1 - pound box confectioners sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
nuts, optional

Bring the block of cream cheese and stick of butter to room temperature in mixing bowl. Cream well, until smooth, then slowly add powdered sugar, being sure to make as big a mess as possible with clouds of sugar wafting all across the kitchen counter. Add vanilla. Put between layers, sparingly, to have enough to coat the sides as well. Sprinkle on nuts if desired (and you know you do!) Let it sit overnight to make it really good. Take to Easter lunch, or give to friend for birthday. Do not bring any home. Only empty cake-taker is allowed back in the house.