This recipe was my maternal grandmother's, and I remember my mom making it when I was little. My mom used to grate the carrots by hand. I am once again so thankful for my food processor! The job is done in no time at all. The sour cream is my own addition; I think it makes the cake moister, especially if you make a 3-layered cake instead of using a tube or bundt pan. Take the time to shred the carrots yourself. The ones you get in the store are too dry and will make the cake dry, too.
3 cups grated carrots
2 cups sugar
½ cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
4 eggs, well beaten
½ cup sour cream (optional)
3 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
In a large bowl, combine carrots, sugar, nuts, oil, sour cream, and eggs; mix well. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to the carrot mixture. Pour into a greased 10-inch tube pan, bundt pan, or three 9-inch round cake pans. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes for the tube or bundt pans; 25-30 minutes for the 9-inch rounds. When cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting. Serves 10-12.
