To celebrate my birthday we wanted to bake a cake we haven’t had in a long time. Carrot cake is very nostalgic for me. When I was a teenager my mother would go to Philadelphia on business trips. On her way back, she would stop at The Commissary cafeteria to pick up one of their famous carrot cakes to bring home. It was so rich and indulgently cream-cheesy, like nothing we’d ever tasted before, and ironically, it seemed so healthy at the time! The Commissary closed its doors in 1991 but here’s the good news, their recipe is still available here Our version is a little simpler and faster. We did not start the cake a day ahead or make the pecan cream filling. Carrot cake recipes have pretty much become standardized with variations tailored to one’s personal preferences -- for instance, we never put raisins in ours! One thing you can count on, The Commissary’s will always stand out.

Serves 12, ready in 1 ½ hours,

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/ tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup of brown sugar
½ cup applesauce
3/4 cup cooking oil
4 eggs
4 medium sized carrots shredded
½ cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
whole pecans for top of cake (optional)
16 oz cream cheese (at room temperature)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 stick of butter (at room temperature)

Grease bottom and sides of two round 8” cake spring pans. In medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon. In large bowl, whisk together sugars, applesauce, cooking oil, eggs, until all are blended. Stir in bowl of dry ingredients and mix until blended, then mix carrots, coconut and walnuts in. Pour equal amounts of batter in spring pans and bake for 40-45 minutes. While cakes are baking prepare the frosting. Using a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, mix softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and softened butter for a few minutes, until smooth.

Once the cakes are cool, remove the sides of the spring pans from the forms. Choose a cake platter, and place two pieces of parchment paper on its surface, seams overlapping in center. Place one cake on platter, on top of parchment paper. Spread frosting over surface of cake on platter. Carefully remove second cake from pan and place it over the top frosted cake. Put one coat of frosting on sides of cake. For best results, at this point refrigerate cake and the rest of frosting for a few hours. Remove frosting from refrigerator ½ hour before removing cake to frost. This will result in a smoother more even application of frosting on sides and top of cake. Add pecans to top, and serve.