Moist Carrot Cake

This moist flavorful carrot cake always gets raves, but no one ever believes me when I reveal the secret ingredient - tomato soup! It's a beautiful dessert with its light orange color and rich frosting. - Recipe from TOH - Grace Yaskovic, Branchville, New Jersey

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 12-16

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup shortening
• 1  cup sugar
• 1 (10 3/4ounce) can  condensed tomato soup, undiluted
• 1  egg
• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1  dash salt
• 1  cup  shredded carrot
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped walnuts
• 1⁄2 cup raisins (optional) or 1⁄2 cup dried currant (optional)

• FROSTING

• 8  ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3  cups confectioners' sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1  tablespoon milk
•  chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add soup and egg; mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; beat into creamed mixture. Stir in the carrots, walnuts and raisins or currants if desired.
2. Pour into a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan aka bundt pan. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. In another mixing bowl, combine the first four frosting ingredients; beat until smooth. Frost cake; top with walnuts if desired.