carrot cake with cream cheese frosting - and birthday flowers

We are still overwhelmed with snow - lots of snow, hip high as I walk to my car, but just a few days ago I saw the first sign of spring!  The trees across the way are showing melting around their trunks, a sure sign that the sap is rising.  Hooray for Spring!  Even better?  Birthday flowers gracing the table in the kitchen:  tulips and sunflowers, and the potted pale pink geraniums - all of which bring so much joy, even though it was minus 18 degrees that morning.  And a beautiful gold chain strung with the birthstones of my children and grandchildren, sparkling in the morning sun, cherished forever.

When I got a phone call asking for a dessert for the Community Supper in town, I had to celebrate this tiny celebration of Spring with my tried and true Carrot Cake - always delicious , moist, tender, and with the most wonderful frosting ever.  Creamy, lemony. tangy, and a perfect combination of cake and creamy icing - definitely a winning combination.  I used a 9x12 inch pan, and marked off 2x2 inch squares, then piped on the frosting, but you can also do a simple little two layer cake if you wish.

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease a 9x12 inch baking pan.

4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
2 cups King Arthur flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups packed, finely grated carrots

Beat eggs, add sugar, oil, and dry ingredients.  Add carrots and stir.  Scoop batter into prepared baking pan .
Bake about 45 minutes or until the top of the cake is somewhat firm to the touch.
Remove to cooling rack.  Run a knife around the edges of the cake, and cool another 15 minutes before flipping onto another cooling rack.  Wait fifteen minutes, then flip cake out onto another cooling rack.  Let cool completely before frosting the cake.

The frosting;

1 large package (8 ounces) of cream cheese
1 stick (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
juice of one lemon
one box confectioner's sugar

Beat the ingredients until smooth and creamy.

Smooth onto cooled cake, or pipe ribbons of frosting onto sliced squares of cooled cake.

Welcome, Spring, wherever you are!