Carrot Almond Cake

Ingredients

Carrot Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups peeled, shredded carrots (6-7 carrots)
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 stick butter, at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Toasted Almond Slivers

• 1 1/2 cups chopped, toasted slivered almonds

Directions

Carrot Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line 2 cake pans with parchement paper and grease the paper with butter.
3. In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
4. Peel and shred the carrots using small holes of box grater, or use a food processor to shred the carrots. Set aside.
5. In a large mixing bowl, using low speed and an electric mixer, mix the granulated and brown sugars and eggs together. Add the oil in a steady stream and beat in on medium speed. Beat on high speed until you have a well combined mixture. Stir in the carrots by hand.
6. Add the dry ingredients by hand until incorporated.
7. Divide the batter into the prepared pans.
8. Place int othe preheated oven and and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
9. Remove the cakes onto cooling racks.
10. Let sit in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto the cooling racks. Cool to room temperature before frosting.

Toasting the Almond Slivers

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Scatter the slivered almonds onto the cookie sheet, and try to keep single layered as possible.
3. Place into the hot oven, keep a very close eye and roast for 3-5 minutes, stir them around with a silicone spatula and toast another minute or two.
4. MOST important is to keep an eye on the roasting process. The nuts will go from golden brown to burnt very quickly.
5. When golden brown, remove from the oven and slide the nuts into a large glass or metal bowl to cool.
6. You want to remove them from the hot pan as they will continue to roast otherwise.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Use an electric mixer on medium speed and beat the cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Beat on medium-high until creamy smooth. Add the butter and keep beating until fluffy.
2. Mix in the vanilla extract.
3. Add the confectioners' sugar 1/4 cup at a time until you reach a good consistancy. You may not use all the confectioners' sugar.

Assembly

1. Place the bottom layer of cake onto a cake plate.
2. Spread a layer of frosting.
3. Place the second layer of cake.
4. Frost the tops and sides.
5. Spread the toasted almonds onto the top and sides of the cake and use clean hands to pat the nuts into the frosting to hold them in place.
6. This cake should be kept refrigerated.