best recipe EVER!

Okay so I don't really consider myself a good cook.  I can follow a recipe really well and I usually succeed with baking.  I have attempted not using a recipe a few times and it has ended in basically feeding the trash.  I made a carrot layer cake for a dinner party the other night and it was flippin' fantastic.  Like better than any carrot cake I have ever had, including Rock Bottom Brewery's carrot cake and Whole Foods' carrot cake.  I have to share this awesome recipe!

Carrot Cake

The cake:

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 oz can crushed pineapple (drained)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
• 3 cups grated carrots

The frosting:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (make sure it is soft enough)
• 8 oz  cream cheese, softened (make sure it is soft enough)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

 Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans.
2.) In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, applesauce, sugars, vanilla and pineapple. Mix in flour, baking soda. baking powder, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg. Stir in carrots. Pour into prepared pans.
3.) Bake in the preheated oven about 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let pans cool for 10-15 minutes on a baking rack, the turn and remove cakes from pan and cool on wire racks until completely cool.  Cool them completely!  Don't even make the frosting until they are cooled!

4.) Frosting: combine butter, cheese and vanilla until smooth.  Slowly beat in sugar.  Beat until smooth.  Frost your cake and top with pecans :)

Enjoy and be ready to want to make another!