Carrot Cake

This is my specialty. My most widely-known and well-loved culinary creation. People LOVE my carrot cake, and I LOVE making it! What is really, really, really, interesting to me about this is that, every time I make it, I think I like it just a little bit less. I'm not sure why. The last time I made it (well, really Heidi made it, mostly), I used 1 cup of apple sauce and 1/2 cup of canola oil instead of 1 1/2 cups oil. I didn't really like how it turned out, or I should say, I didn't like it as much. Other people, however, seemed to really enjoy it. This time, I made it for an office holiday party (on January 30th), and I decided to go back to the original recipe (makes me think of KFC), and I happily poured in 1 1/2 cups of oil. I did change something this time though. I added extra cinnamon (like a teaspoon extra), and I put in nutmeg (something that is not even mentioned in the recipe. :) Funny thing - I had a piece the night I made it, and it was pretty good. I had a bite just a few minutes ago after I snapped this picture, and it blew me away! I think it might be kind of like a lasagna situation - it just gets better and better as the days go by and it has a chance to "brew."

So...the recipe is no secret. In fact, you can find it here. (I think mine looks surprisingly like the one pictured.) The secret to this cake is the pan. This was one of those "Baker's Secret" pans that you get at the grocery store when you're in the baking aisle picking up ingredients for your first "real" cake and you suddenly realize you don't have anything to bake it in. The thing is - this pan is MAGIC! I've had it for, what, going on 10 years now, and this baby is still going strong. My favorite part is that it came with a plastic lid that snaps on so that you can bake, frost, and go! Someday though, I might have to spring for a silicone "pan." I swear sometimes the corner pieces taste a little like metal...