Carrot Cake

I love carrot cake.  The first time I ever had carrot cake was when I went to visit a camp friend outside Philly.  We went into Philly for the night and had dinner at the Commissary.  Not sure it even exists still but that carrot cake was one of the best things ever.  Years later I found the recipe which called for two not one but two boxes of powdered sugar.  No wonder it was so good. 

Emily made a killer carrot cake for Fred's bday.  She got the recipe from Smitten Kitchen. 

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
3 cups grated peeled carrots

Preheat oven to 350. 

Butter 2 9" cake pans and cover the bottom with parchment paper.

Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in medium
bowl to blend. Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended.
Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture and stir until blended.
Stir in carrots. 

Divide the batter between the prepared pans, and bake the layers for about 40 minutes each.

Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

In a stand mixer beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy.
Chill the frosting for 10 to 20 minutes, until it has set up enough to
spread smoothly.

Frost the top of one cake, place the other cake on top. Frost the sides
and top.   Refrigerate the cake until you serve it.  The frosting gets soft.