Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of one 13x9-inch pan or two 8-inch or 9-inch round pans with shortening; lightly flour. In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed about 30 seconds or until blended. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla and the salt; beat on low speed 1 minute. Stir in carrots and nuts. Pour into pan(s).
Step
2
Bake 13x9-inch pan 40 to 45 minutes, round pans 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool rectangle in pan on cooling rack. Cool rounds 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Step
3
In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth and spreadable. Frost 13x9-inch cake or fill and frost round layers with frosting. Sprinkle nutmeg on frosted cake, if desired. Store in refrigerator.
Greasing and flouring cake pans for this kind of dense, moist cake is your most important first step (after properly pre-heating your oven), especially if you want to unmold cake rounds to stack. Generously grease the pans, then spoon a couple of teaspoons of flour in—tap the pan back and forth or in a circular motion, so the flour just lightly coats the surface. Be sure to coat the sides with flour, too. Tap out any excess.
Treat this as an after-school snacking cake—pour the batter into two square 8-inch baking pans. Bake them up, making one unfrosted cake available for the kids right away, allowing them to frost or ice their own pieces as they go. Wrap and stash the second cake in the freezer as directed below until you need it.
Some people aren’t nut fans, so consider adding some golden raisins or snipped apricots if you leave them out. Or if walnuts aren’t a favorite, try toasted pecans or macadamia nuts; both offer a contrasting texture without infusing a strong nut flavor into the cake.
Save yourself time using a 16-ounce container of Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting instead of the from-scratch recipe.
