that cake recipe...

has probably been shared here before,  but for those who are more recent readers, I decided to type it again. It is the Official Family Birthday Cake: one I have been making for at least thirty years, though not as frequently as when there were little people around to celebrate milestone dates for/with. I will occasionally go to the effort to grate three cups of carrots and stir it up for someone here who is suddenly, overnight, becoming a year older. But generally only make it once a year, when the troops gather to eat, laugh, enjoy a beautiful afternoon in the sunshine on Easter.

I have learned to make it in two round eight-inch cake pans, and then slice the layers to make four, using toothpicks to mark the middle of the layer and carefully applying a serrated/bread knife with a long blade to separate each thick layer  into two thinner ones. You have to be sparing with the frosting to be certain you will have enough to cover the three layers, plus top and sides now that you have split the two and have twice as  much to spread the frosting on... but it usually works out.

Carrot Cake with cream cheese icing

2 cups sifted plain flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups cooking oil
3 cups grated carrots

Sift together dry ingredients. Mix oil and eggs. Add dry ingredients, mixture will be stiff. Stir in carrots by hand. Makes two large or three small layers. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes. Test with toothpick for doneness. (This is straight from the book... and here's what I do: mix the sugar and eggs, beat really well. Start drizzling in oil, alternately with dry ingredients, mixing well. Stir in carrots.)

Icing:
1 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine or butter, softened
1 box powdered/confection sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla,
1 cup chopped nuts
Cream butter and cream cheese together until fluffy, smooth, add sugar, gradually, mixing till smooth. Add vanilla. If you wish: stir in nuts. (I do not add nuts to icing, it's lumpy and hard to spread with nuts mixed in - wait till you are done, and sprinkle a few on top, pat on sides.)