National Carrot Cake Day.....

National Carrot Cake Day is celebrated annually on February 3rd.

According to Wikipedia, carrot cake (Rübelitorte in Swiss German) is a cake which contains carrots mixed into the batter. The carrot softens in the cooking process, and the cake usually has a soft, dense texture.

Baking and ingredients

Carrot cake closely resembles a quick bread in method of preparation (all the wet ingredients, such as the eggs and sugar, are mixed, all the dry ingredients are mixed, and the wet are then added to the dry) and final consistency (which is usually denser than a traditional cake and has a coarser crumb).

Many carrot cake recipes include optional ingredients, such as kirsch, cinnamon, nuts or raisins. The most common icing on carrot cake is icing sugar and lemon juice or icing sugar and kirsch (Europe) and an icing with sugar, butter and cream cheese (United States).

As the cake is relatively moist, it can be conserved longer than many other types of cakes.

Cinnamon Carrot Cake Recipe.....

Number of Servings: 12

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour 1 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3/4 cup plus 2 TBSP apple juice 4 egg whites 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups grated carrots (about 6 medium) 1/3 cup dark raisins or walnuts Icing: 1 pkg fat free cream cheese 1 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspon vanilla extract

Directions

Combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda and cinnamon. Stir to mix well. Add juice, egg whites, and vanilla extract and mix well. Last, stir in the carrots and raisins (or walnuts). Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray and spread batter evenly in pan. Bake at 325 for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake, comes out clean. Cool. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar on med-low speed until smooth. Spread icing over cooled cake. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Serves 12

This recipe was taken from Spark Recipes. You can view it on their website here.