Valentine's Day Carrot Cake Recipe

Shane's favorite dessert is carrot cake and I have an incredible recipe...cream cheese frosting and all! If you think baking is difficult and making a cake from scratch is even more impossible, you need to try this one. It always comes out moist. I can't remember where I found the original recipe but I've been sharing it with friends and family for years.


Cake Ingredients
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of salt


1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 cups finely grated carrots
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup drained crushed pineapple (optional)

Note: use whole nutmeg with a micro-plain, you'll get better nutmeg flavor. Also, I highly recommend pure vanilla extract. Lower grade vanilla has a high alcohol content and therefore delivers inferior quality and flavor. It's worth the additional cost so check the label!

Here's what the batter will look like when everything has been combined. I shred the carrots with my Cuisinart and blend everything with my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer. I've had both since we were married in 1996 and they really take a beating (no pun intended).

I always smack the pans on the counter to remove air bubbles. You can see the difference in these two pans (the one on the left has the bubbles removed). I think it makes for a denser cake and encourages more even cooking.


When the cakes are done cooking, remove them from the pans and place on a wire rack to cool. Do not frost any cake while it is still hot or even warm, your frosting will melt, making it difficult to frost and not look so nice either.


Icing Ingredients
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 lb icing sugar (powdered sugar)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp orange juice
2 cups finely chopped pecans (optional)


Blend cream cheese and butter. Slowly add sugar, vanilla and juice. Ice after cake completely cools. Decorate with chopped pecans (if desired).

We celebrated Isa's 5th birthday. Lucky girl was born on Valentine's Day! I hope you make this recipe and enjoy it as much as my family.

Ethan is Turning 8!

He wants to have a few friends over to celebrate this Saturday. You know, totally boy stuff: laser tag in a pirate-themed environment, all the pop and popcorn they can eat plus cake!

But back to the main reason for this post. I threw a few invitations together and wanted to share them with you. Quick and easy with lots of stamps. I used Strathmore Script White Heather (98# Cover) that I got for a steal from Xpedx. Paid $4.04 for an entire ream! The stamp set is Stampin' Up Extreme Elements. I love this set, part of my hostess rewards from the party with Blaise Hoopes. It's the perfect stamp set for boys who are not quite young anymore and I'm using it a lot on my latest custom project too, a Mardi Gras-themed gala. I incorporated three different ink colors from Stampin' Up as well; chocolate chip, crushed curry and green galore. And as Blaise always says, no naked envelopes.

Hope you like them!