Carrot /Zucchini Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups shredded carrots (5 medium)
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts

1. Heat oven to 3500. Grease bottom and sides 9x13 pan.

2. Mix sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl until blended; beat one minute. Stir in remaining ingredients except carrots, nuts and cream cheese frosting. Beat 1 minute. Stir in carrots and nuts. Pour into pan.

3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

4. Frost with cream cheese or vanilla frosting.

For lighter carrot cake

Substitute 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce or 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt for 1/2 cup of the oil. Decrease the chopped nuts to 1/2 cup.

Zucchini Cake: Substitute zucchini for the carrots.

I got this recipe from Rachel. I just served it for Scott's work administrators breakfast meeting on Friday and for the Duarte II Ward bishopric who were over for a meeting on Sunday night. (I made a double batch and froze half for the Sunday night meeting.) It is very good, moist, and easy to make.