« Pacific Northwest: Taste

Carrot Cake From The School In The Woods

I tinkered with a recipe from Christopher Kimball's "The Dessert Bible" to develop a sturdy, no-nonsense carrot cake that would feed a bunch of hungry kids. This is a big carrot cake that's perfect for a crowd; it will make 24 large servings or 36 smaller ones. Take it to a potluck. Leftovers freeze beautifully. Makes one half-sheet pan 15 by 17 1/2 inches

1 1/2 cups (3/4 pound) butter at room temperature 3 cups brown sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 8 eggs 4 cups pastry flour 2 tablespoons baking powder 1 tablespoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons salt 8 cups grated carrots 1 1/2 cups toasted walnuts, chopped 1. Grease and flour the sides of a half-sheet pan and line the bottom with baker's parchment. 2. Cut all the butter into 1-inch chunks. Put half the butter in the bowl of an upright mixer. Put the rest in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until it is melted and beginning to brown. Pour the browned butter over the cold butter and beat until all the butter is smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and vanilla and continue beating until smooth. Beat the eggs together and add all at once to the butter mixture; beat until eggs are well-incorporated. 3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the whipped butter mixture, the grated carrots and the toasted walnuts all at once to the flour mixture. Fold together just until dry ingredients are moistened; do not overmix. 4. Transfer the batter to the prepared sheet pan and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 20 minutes, or until the cake feels firm in the center when pressed lightly. Cool the cake on a rack. Frost the cake when cool and cut into portions.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes about 4 cups

1 1/2 pounds cream cheese 1 pound powdered sugar 1 cup whipping cream, whipped 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Soften the cream cheese by whipping it in an electric mixer with the powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir in half of the whipped cream to lighten it up, then fold in the rest of the whipped cream. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Keep cold until serving time.