Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
2 1/4 c. sifted AP flour
1 t. salt
2 t. soda
2 t. cinnamon
3 c. coarsely grated raw carrots
1 1/2 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 300. Combine sugar, oil, and eggs; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed for 1 minute. Stir in carrots and nuts. Spread batter in a greased and floured 13 X 9 pan. Bake at 300 for about 1 hour, until cake tests done with a toothpick. Frost with cream cheese frosting, if desired. IF DESIRED? Are you kidding? :-)

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter
2 t. vanilla
1 pound confectioners sugar (sift if lumpy)

Let cream cheese and butter warm to room temperature, then cream thoroughly and add vanilla. Gradually beat in sugar. For good spreading consistency, frosting can be thickened by adding additional sugar or thinned by adding milk.


**If you use the buttermilk glaze (below)--pour this over cake prior to the cream cheese frosting.
The amount of the buttermilk glaze is perfect for a 3-layer cake, might be too much for a 13 X 9 inch cake.  Drink the leftover glaze if you have too much!  ~.~



Buttermilk Glaze (optional)

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often,
4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.


*** This can be baked in 15 X 10 jelly roll pan--350 for 30-35 minutes.