Carrot Cake with Maple Caramel Frosting

Carrot Cake (modified from Sybil Kitchel's Carrot Cake from the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook)

Notes:

• I think that you could cut the oil to 1 1/4 cups, easily, as the cake does have a slightly oily quality. I might experiment with replacing half the oil with applesauce. It would fit with the "harvest" theme of this cake, too.
• This cake lends itself well to additions such as nuts, raisins or other dried fruit, or coconut. 
• For the caramel, I basically used the recipe for salted caramel that I posted before(http://www.bittersweetlane-cherish.blogspot.com/2012/09/vanilla-bean-caramel-sauce-and-some.html) but left out the vanilla bean and added about 1/4 cup of maple syrup to the batch of caramel at the very end. Basically, it's just until it tastes maple-y enough to you. It won't be as delicious but you can use store-bought caramel. Just add at least a teaspoon of salt and then the syrup.
• I have found that it is very difficult to get a strong maple flavor using just syrup so I use extract, too. I got mine at Target. Maple sugar might work well here, too.
• If the frosting is too thick, add more syrup.

Cake Ingredients

1 1/2 cups oil

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon maple syrup

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups carrots, finely grated

1 cup sweet potato, finely grated

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Whisk dry ingredients (except sugar) together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat eggs and oil together in mixing bowl until light in color with bubbles. Beat in the sugar, a little at a time. Add vanilla and maple syrup.
4. Add dry to wet and stir until combined.
5. Fold carrots and sweet potato mixture into the batter.
6. Pour batter into 10"x14" pan that has been lightly greased or sprayed with cooking spray. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, approximately 35 minutes.

Maple Caramel Frosting

Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup salted caramel
2 Tablespoons real maple syrup (Grade B is the best for baking)

1 Tablespoon maple extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Beat butter until very fluffy and light.
2. Add half of sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Add 2nd half of sugar and stir on low speed. Turn mixer or beaters to high speed to thoroughly mix in the sugar.
3. Add caramel, maple syrup and extracts. Beat on high until combined and nice and fluffy