May I Suggest a Nice Red Velvet Instead?

Is there a recipe you’re often asked to make?  When I go to family picnics, I’m always asked to bring the baked beans,  my cousin Sunny brings her banana cake, my cousin Donna is known for her rice pudding, my Aunt Betty has to bring along her peanut butter fudge and my mom makes and totes along the best broccoli salad ever.  It’s nice to be known for a special recipe.

Unfortunately, I’m also often asked to make carrot cake.  I say unfortunately because I don’t really like carrot cake, but it’s what I usually end up making for Dave’s, Ben’s, my mom’s and my father-in-law’s birthday almost every year, and I often make the Easter bunny cake a carrot cake too (I prefer coconut cake at Easter, but what do I know??)   At least I save myself a lot of cake calories over the course of a year!

Dave’s birthday was this month, and we celebrated the weekend before with chopsticks and saki.  But on his actual day he got to pick his birthday dinner (shrimp, pierogies, and green beans) and his dessert (you guessed it).

Long ago I realized that chopping a bag of baby carrots in my food processor was way easier than washing, peeling, and grating big carrots.

Isn’t the batter pretty with those carrot flecks?


And of course, carrot cake needs cream cheese frosting!

Then after you pull the birthday boy’s ears…

and blow out the candles…

…it’s time for everyone (except me) to enjoy a piece of birthday cake.

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake:

2 c. sugar

4 eggs

1- 1/4 c. oil

1 bag baby carrots, finely chopped in food processor

2 c. flour

2 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. salt

1-1/4 c. raisins (optional-we opt out of these!)

Mix well the sugar, eggs, and oil.  Mix in carrots.  Add dry ingredients, mixing well.  If adding raisins, add them last.  Pour into two greased and floured round pans and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. 

Frosting:

1 -8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 stick margarine

2 c. confectioner’s sugar

1 t. vanilla

Cream together cream cheese and margarine.  Add sugar and beat well.  Mix in vanilla.

So I’m curious. What recipe are you always asked to bring to potlucks and picnics?

I am linking this post to Foodie Friday!