Carrot Cake

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 lb carrots (6-7 med) - peeled
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups oil - safflower, canola, or vegetable
• 1 cup raisins (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups toasted chopped pecans or walnuts (~4 min at 350) (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese - softened but still cool
• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter - softened but still cool
• 1 Tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups (4.5 oz) confectioners' sugar

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position, heat oven to 350. Spray 13×9 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment and spray parchment.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in med/large bowl, and set aside.
3. In food processor fitted with shredding disk with small holes, shred carrots. Transfer to large bowl, final mixing bowl, and set aside.
4. Wipe out food processor bowl and fit with metal blade. Process granulated and brown sugar and eggs until frothy and thoroughly combined, about 20 seconds. With machine running, add oil through feed tube in steady stream. Process until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 20 seconds longer.
5. Mix food processor content in with carrots scraping bowl clean. Stir in dry ingredients until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain. Add raisins and nuts if using. Pour into prepared pan.
6. Cook until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 52 minutes with raisins and nuts (35-40 without). Rotate pan half way through baking time. Cool cake to room temperature in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours.
7. When cake is cool, process cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla in clean food processor bowl until combined, about 5 seconds, scraping bowl down with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners' sugar and process until smooth, about 10 seconds.
8. Run paring knife around edge of cake to loosen from pan. Invert cake onto wire rack, peel off parchment, then invert again into pan or onto serving platter. Using spatula, spread frosting evenly over surface of cake. Cut into squares and serve. Cover leftovers and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Serves: Serves 15       Total cooking time = 50min + 2 hr cooling
Source: Cook's Illustrated Mar/Apr 2003