Carrot Cake Trifle

Our friend David requested carrot cake cupcakes for his dessert of the month for February. The recipe I used is from the Junior League of Morgan County, Alabama’s Cotton Country Cooking. This gem of a cookbook was given to me as a wedding gift 17 years ago by a friend of my mother-in-law. This sweet lady had made a carrot cake for my bridal tea and I had raved about it—and she gave me the book so I could make it myself. I’ve made this cake many times over the years, but for some reason it stuck to my muffin pans. As a result, I had a ton of crumbly carrot cake on my hands. My solution: Layer the cake with cream cheese frosting in a glass bowl to make a trifle.

Carrot Cake
1 1/2 cups canola or vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
4 carrots, finely grated (3 cups)

1. Beat oil and sugars with a mixer until combined. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until blended after each addition. Add in vanilla.
2. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients. Gradually beat into oil mixture until blended. Stir in carrots. Scoop batter in to lightly greased cake pans.
3. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until done. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans, cool completely on wire racks.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 (8-oz.) blocks cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (16-oz.) box powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla paste or extract

1. Beat cream cheese and butter with a mixer. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until mixture achieves spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla.