headtones: Carrot Cake with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

While there are countless headlines about the upcoming presidential elections, I think it is important that we remember our local elections. It is in these local elections - the ones I am generally the least educated about - that we elect the individuals who make the decisions that have the potential to directly affect our lives the most dramatically. For those of you who live in Winston-Salem, please check out and support my colleague, Andrew Keever, in his campaign for District Court Judge. He's a great person, an excellent attorney, and will be a fair and impartial judge.

Important voter information for 2012:
Last day to register to vote: October 9th
Early voting period: October 22nd through November 2nd
ELECTION DAY: November 6th

Carrot Cake with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
Kelley Gondring

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Carrot Cake

Ingredients
12 ounces unsalted butter, softened [3 sticks]
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 heaping teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
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4 large eggs
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3 cups shredded carrots (not packed)
1 cup craisins, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raisins, coarsely chopped

Preparation
1. Preheat oven 350 degrees
2. Lightly grease and line with parchment paper three (3) 8" cake rounds. [Don't skip the parchment paper or your cakes will stick to the pans.

Directions
1. In a large electric mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla extract for one minute.
2. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients.
3. Add the dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time to the butter/sugar mixture, alternating with the addition of the eggs. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
4. Fold in the carrots, craisins, pecans, and raisins.
5. Pour batter into lined cake rounds.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
7. Let cake cool in the pan ten minutes before transferring to wire rack.
8. Let cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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1 pound confectioner's sugar
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3/4 to 1 cup toasted diced pecans

Directions
1. In a large electric mixing bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese.
2. Mix in vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
3. Gradually mix in confectioner's sugar.
4. Assemble cake. Sprinkle pecans on the sides of your carrot masterpiece.

Eat up and remember to VOTE!