Momma's Carrot Cake Recipe

This is the very best Carrot Cake recipe I've ever tasted, and I'm not just saying that because it's the one my mom uses.  It's very moist.  The last time I made it, I prepared it as a layer cake with dowels to keep in from slipping.  It would've worked except the icing turned out really creamy & I had to travel with it.  Tasted great, but didn't look as lovely after the road trip.

Cake Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 1/2 cu vegetable oil
2 cu sugar
2 cu all purpose flour
2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon baking powder (Eliminate if use self-rise flour)
2 teaspoon baking soda (Eliminate if use self-rise flour)
pinch salt
3 cups grated carrots
8oz bag walnut pieces (optional)


Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
1) Sift together: 2 cu sugar, 2 cu flour, 2 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoon baking soda, and pinch salt then set aside.
2) In a separate, very large mixing bowl, beat eggs until blended then add oil, stir.  Stir in sugar.
3) Now add all dry ingredients to egg mixture.  Mix well.  Add carrots, and if desired walnuts.
4) Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes in either 1 bundt pan or in 2 - 9" cake pans.  Cool completely, then cover with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Icing Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 - 8oz package Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 stick of butter or margarine
1 box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Cream together the butter and cream cheese.  Add vanilla.  Add the powdered sugar gradually until the frosting is the consistency you like.  Mix completely.  If the recipe becomes too thick to spread on the cake, add a splash of milk or just enough to make it spread easily.  You should not need milk.

Frosting Tips:
1) Do not double this recipe.  It never seems to turn out well that way.  If you need more than this recipe yields, make a separate batch.
2) Do not microwave the cream cheese.  Allow it to come to room temperature on it's own.  The frosting won't have the proper consistency if you microwave the cream cheese.