Carrot Cake

This cake recipe is absolutely wonderful! I made these into cupcakes (I got 26 total, baked for 20 minutes at 350) and used my own cream cheese frosting. I made a couple minor modifications to the original recipe, reflected below. This cake is moist and has a wonderful mild flavor. This was my first time making homemade carrot cake, and I'm in love. I can't wait to make this one again, I think I'll try it in round cake pans next time for a layered cake... mmmm. :)

Carrot Cake slightly modified from Carrot Cake III by Tammy Elliott on AllRecipes.com

Ingredients
4 eggs
1 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup applesauce
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)


Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting
1/8 cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese
1 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan (or cupcake pans if desired).
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans (if using). Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
4. Prepare the cream cheese frosting. In a medium mixing bowl, beat all frosting ingredients together with an electric mixer until well-combined and smooth (taste test and adjust as necessary). Frost cake (or cupcakes) when cooled completely.