The best carrot cake!

This is the best carrot cake I have ever tasted. I have had plenty of carrot cake over the years...but nothing has ever come close to this. I have absolutely no idea where I found the recipe either... ..it was clipped from a calendar put out by some food product from the look of the picture on the back.

One of our little traditions is that each of us bakes the other's birthday cake. I always order carrot cake when it comes to mine. Mr. BumbleVee likes chocolate for his. I have tried many different chocolates over the years...but for my carrot cake.... he will always know exactly which recipe to use. He makes the best carrot cake !!

Nutty Carrot Cake
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 cups shredded carrots
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt (there is plenty for me with just the salty butter)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped nuts (we use walnuts...sometimes toasted)

........(we also like to toss in some raisins....and add some other spices too.... a smidge of Ginger, teensy "sprink" of Nutmeg and a bit of All Spice) all optional and to your own taste of course. Once you make it... you can decide which spices might enhance the flavour for your own palate.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well blended. Add carrots and vanilla;mix well. Add combined dry ingredients alternately with milk..mixing well after each addition. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9 inch tube pan or 9 X 13 inch cake pan.

Bake at 350 F (180 C ) for 55 to 60 minutes for tube pan Only 45 to 50 minutes for 9 X 13 pan. Test with toothpick for done-ness. Cool cake completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Icing
1 125 gram pkg cream cheese
1 Tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups sifted icing sugar (test every so often to determine how much to suit your own taste)

Combine softened cream cheese and several large spoonfuls of icing sugar; stir til well blended. (If you didn't sift the sugar there may be lumps..) Add vanilla, blend well; add more icing sugar .... add a tiny bit of the milk alternately with icing sugar making sure it does not get too runny. Barely a dribble of milk and you have to add another cup of sugar.. ... I prefer to maintain the cream cheesy taste and don't add nearly the amount of icing sugar or milk the recipe calls for. Check every so often to see how it tastes. Wait til cake is completely cool before frosting.
YUM!!!