Carrot cake With Cream Cheese Icing

Written by on in Cakes, Dessert

I don’t know why but every year around spring I get a yearning for some moist and delicious carrot cake, and not any old carrot cake. Years ago I found a recipe that I absolutely loved. It made a super moist cake and the cream cheese icing was to die for. When making my latest version of that cake I felt that I could add to it and make it just a little bit better. Now don’t get me wrong, the recipe as is was great. I just thought that with the addition of some spices I could make it even better.

I started by preheat my oven to 350º. I lined two 9” cake pans with parchment paper and sprayed them with cooking spray.

Into a bowl of a stand mixer I sifted the dry ingredients together. The flour ( I love King Arthurs all purpose flour ), granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, cloves and salt.

To a separate large mixing bowl I added my eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla and whisked until combined. I poured my wet ingredients into my dry ingredients and mixed until incorporated.

To my mixer I added my shredded carrots, carrot purée ( carrot baby food, that right I said baby food ) and shredded coconut and mixed until incorporated.

I poured my batter into my prepared cake pans and placed them in the oven to bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle came out clean. I removed the cakes from the oven and let them cool completely.

While waiting for my cakes to cool I removed my butter and cream cheese from the refrigerator so that it would come to room temperature. Once my cakes were completely cooled I placed my room temperature butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. I mixed the butter and cream cheese together until fluffy and completely incorporated. I added my vanilla a pinch of salt and my powdered sugar and started mixing on the lowest speed, as to not have a cloud of powdered sugar in the air ( I’ve done that more then once )😬. Once the powdered sugar is incorporated I raised the mixer speed to medium and mixed for one minute or until smooth and no more dry patches were visible.

I placed one of my cooled cakes onto a platter and topped with cream cheese icing. Now I like a tall cake so I made two batches of cake so that I could have a three layer cake, which left another layer to snack on, shhh, don’t tell anyone ( the recipe above is for a two layer cake ). I continued with the second layer, placing it on the first layer and again covering it with more icing. Then I put the last layer and covered the entire cake with icing. If you make a larger cake you might also need more icing. Now you can decorate it the way you like. I chose to make some white chocolate carrots and scatter them around the cake and topped with some chopped walnuts.

This cake not only looked good but it was super moist and delicious as well. So give it a try, I’m sure you’ll love it.

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Icing

Carrot Cake:

Ingredients:

  • 3 Cups all purpose flour ( I love King Arthur’s )
  • 2 1/2 Cups granulated sugar
  • 2 Teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 Teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 Teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 Teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1/4 Teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/8 Teaspoon cloves
  • 1/2 Teaspoon salt.
  • 4 Eggs
  • 1 1/2 Cups vegetable oil
  • 2 Teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 Cups grated carrots
  • 2 Jars ( 4 ounces each ) carrot purée ( baby food )
  • 1 Cup unsweetened shredded coconut.

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350º. Line two 9” cake pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
  2. To the bowl of a stand mixer sift together the all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
  3. In a separate large bowl mix together the eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and blend until combined.
  4. Grate your carrots using a box grater on the smallest side. Add grated carrots, 2 jars of carrot purée and shredded coconut to your cake batter and mix until incorporated, being careful not to over mix which will create a dense cake.
  5. Pour cake batter into prepared cake pans and place in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
  6. Once cakes are completely cooled, place one layer of cake on a platter. Cover the first layer with the cream cheese icing. Add second layer, then cover entire cake with cream cheese icing. Top with chopped walnut and optional white chocolate carrots,
  7. Enjoy

Cream Cheese Icing:

Ingredients:

  • 12 Ounces cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1/2 Cup ( 1 stick ) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 3 1/2 Cups powdered sugar
  • 2 Teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 Teaspoon salt

Instructions:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer add you room temperature cream cheese and butter and mix until completely combined and fluffy.
  2. Add vanilla and salt and mix once again.
  3. Add powdered sugar and continue mixing on the lowest speed. Once powdered sugar is completely incorporated raise the speed to medium and continue mixing for another minute until smooth.