Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

This carrot cake is not too sweet, so the cream cheese icing is just the right topping to make this dessert perfect.  It only takes about 25 minutes of prep time, and it isn't difficult at all.  If desired, the icing can be omitted.  Instead, dust the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar.  Either way, this cake is a beauty!

Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2/3 cup milk
3 medium carrots, grated

Icing
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Topping
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
Mix together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
Beat together butter and sugar  until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  At low speed, alternately beat in flour mixture and milk into butter mixture.  Stir in carrots.  Pour batter into pan.
Bake cake for 40 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out.  Let cool completely before applying icing.

To prepare icing, beat together butter and cream cheese until completely smooth.  Beat in vanilla.  Beat in confectioners' sugar until well blended.  To prepare topping, mix together brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs in a small bowl.

Place cake on a serving plate. Spread icing over to the top and sides.  Sprinkle the top with graham cracker crust mixture.