Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Craving a moist, flavorful cake bursting with warm spices and studded with sweet carrots? Look no further than the classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting! This timeless dessert is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, perfect for holidays, potlucks, birthday parties, or simply satisfying your sweet tooth.

Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting your baking journey, Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a surprisingly versatile treat. Packed with grated carrots, warming spices, and nuts, topped with a rich frosting, this decadent dessert offers a delightful balance of sweetness, moisture, and texture.

Jump to:

• Here’s Why You’ll Want to Make Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Ingredients for the Carrot Cake – Here’s What You’ll Need
• Steps to Make the Carrot Cake
• Ingredients for the Cream Cheese Frosting – Here’s What You’ll Need
• Steps to Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
• Steps to Finish the Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Recipe Tips and Tricks
• Other Great Cakes
• Recipe

Here’s Why You’ll Want to Make Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

• Flavor Explosion: Carrot Cake offers a unique flavor profile. The moist cake studded with sweet carrots is bursting with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. This flavor combination is perfectly complemented by the tangy sweetness of the Cream Cheese Frosting, creating a truly irresistible taste experience.

• Textural Delight: Carrot Cake boasts a wonderful textural contrast. The cake is moist and tender, while the toasted nuts sprinkled outside add a delightful crunch. The Cream Cheese Frosting adds another layer of texture with its smooth and creamy consistency.

• Easy to Make: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a surprisingly easy dessert to make at home. The ingredients are readily available, and the process itself is straightforward. Even beginner bakers can achieve delicious results.

• Perfect for Any Occasion: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a crowd-pleaser, making it perfect for any occasion. It’s a delicious choice for holidays, potlucks, birthday parties, or even a cozy night at home.

Ingredients for the Carrot Cake – Here’s What You’ll Need

• Carrots: Shredded carrots add incredible moisture to the cake batter. This keeps the cake from drying out, resulting in a soft and tender crumb.

• All-Purpose Flour: It’s the foundation that allows all the other delicious flavors and textures to shine through, making carrot cake a truly irresistible treat.

• Buttermilk: It’s a simple ingredient that adds a surprising amount of flavor, texture, and moisture, making your Carrot Cake truly irresistible.

• Canola Oil: Boasts a neutral taste profile, allowing the natural sweetness of the carrots and the warming spices to shine through, without any unwanted flavor interference.

• Sugars: The combination of white and brown sugar creates a more complex texture in the cake. White sugar contributes to a light and airy crumb, while brown sugar adds a slight chewiness.

• Extra-Large Eggs: Beyond size, the quality and freshness of your eggs are also important factors. Look for eggs with clean shells and fresh yolks for the best results in your Carrot Cake.

• Sweetened Coconut Flakes: Infuse the Carrot Cake with a burst of tropical flavor. The sweet coconut complements the warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg in the cake batter.

• Crushed Pineapple: Brings a burst of tangy sweetness to Carrot Cake. The acidity cuts through the richness of the cake and frosting, creating a more balanced and refreshing flavor.

• Toasted Pecan Pieces: The crunch of these little gems provides a delightful counterpoint to the soft and moist cake. This interplay of textures keeps things interesting with every bite and adds a touch of sophistication.

• Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Both leaveners provide a good balance of lift. The baking soda gives an initial lift during mixing, while the baking powder continues to work throughout baking.

• Cinnamon and Nutmeg: They play off each other, with cinnamon providing the base warmth and nutmeg adding a touch of complexity. This combination complements the earthy sweetness of carrots and creates a truly satisfying taste experience.

• Salt and Vanilla Extract: These unsung heroes play crucial roles in taking your carrot cake from good to great. They add depth, complexity, and a touch of magic to the overall flavor profile.

Steps to Make the Carrot Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium size bowl, add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground nutmeg, and ground cinnamon.

2. Then, using a whisk, combine the dry ingredients together. Set the bowl aside until ready to use.

3. In a large bowl, add the canola oil, buttermilk, extra-large eggs, and vanilla extract.

4. Then, using an electric hand mixer, beat the wet ingredients together until they have emulsified and are well combined.

5. Add the white and brown sugars to the mixed wet ingredients.

6. Then, beat with the electric hand mixer until well combined.

7. Next, add the mixed dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

8. Beat the wet and dry ingredients with the electric hand mixer until just combined.

9. Next, add the shredded carrots, sweetened coconut flakes, crushed pineapple, and toasted pecan pieces.

10. Using a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir everything together just until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as you mix.

11. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. I like to use Baker’s Joy Nonstick Baking Spray with Flour. Then, divide the carrot cake batter evenly between the two pans.

12. Bake in a 350°F oven for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes.

13. After 10 minutes, turn the cakes out into wire racks and cool them completely before frosting. I like to wrap my cakes in plastic wrap overnight and frost the next day.

Ingredients for the Cream Cheese Frosting – Here’s What You’ll Need

• Cream Cheese: Boasts a delightful tanginess that cuts through the sweetness of the sugar in the frosting.

• Unsalted Butter: The fat content in butter helps contribute to the creamy texture of the frosting, creating a smooth and spreadable consistency.

• Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioners’ sugar, its fine texture allows the sugar to dissolve easily into the cream cheese and butter, creating a smooth and evenly distributed sweetness throughout the frosting.

• Vanilla Extract: It adds a touch of magic, transforming a good frosting into a truly exceptional one.

• Salt: The tang of the cream cheese and the subtle notes of vanilla extract become more prominent and well-rounded with a touch of salt.

• Toasted Pecan Pieces: While not included in the actual frosting, coating the outside of the Carrot Cake with this crunchy topping adds a visual appeal and a delightful textural contrast that elevates the entire cake.

Steps to Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Place the room-temperature cream cheese, room-temperature unsalted butter, salt, and vanilla extract in a very large bowl.

2. Then, using an electric hand mixer, beat the ingredients together until well combined and creamy.

3. Next, add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time.

4. Using the hand mixer, beat the frosting well after each addition of powdered sugar. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl after each beating.

Steps to Finish the Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Place one of the Carrot Cake layers, right side up, onto either a cardboard cake round or a large serving plate. Then, using a large ice cream scoop, place two scoops of the Cream Cheese Frosting on top of the cake.

2. Using a thin icing spatula, spread the frosting into an even layer. The layer of frosting in between the cake layers should be about ½-inch thick.

3. Next, place the other cake layer, top side down, onto the spread-out frosting. Using the ice cream scoop, add two scoops of frosting to the top of the cake and spread it into an even smooth layer. Begin spreading the frosting down the sides of the cake using your spatula. Continue adding frosting to the sides using the spatula until the entire cake is covered. The frosting should be about ½-inch thick on the top and ¼-inch thick on the sides.

4. Once the cake is frosted, press the toasted pecan pieces into the frosting on the sides of the Carrot Cake using your hands.

5. Place some of the remaining cream cheese frosting into a piping bag with a large star tip and pipe a boarder around the top of the Carrot Cake.

6. Place about ¾ of the remaining frosting into a small bowl, add a 2-3 drops of orange gel food coloring. Then mix the color into the frosting using a small silicone spatula. If your frosting is not the desired color, you can add another drop of color. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe carrot shapes onto the top of the cake.

7. Place the remaining uncolored frosting into a small bowl, add 1-2 drops of green gel food coloring, and mix the color into the frosting with a silicone spatula. If your frosting is not the desired color, you can add another drop of color. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a small star tip and pipe the tops of the carrots.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a delightful dessert that offers a symphony of flavors and textures. The moist and flavorful cake, studded with carrots and warmed by comforting spices, is perfectly complemented by the tangy sweetness of the cream cheese frosting. From the subtle crunch of toasted pecans to the aromatic allure of vanilla extract, each element comes together to create a truly irresistible treat.

So next time you’re looking for a delicious dessert that’s easy to make and sure to impress, look no further than Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. It’s a timeless classic that will leave everyone wanting another slice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Grate Smart: Grate your carrots finely for even distribution throughout the cake. This also helps prevent large carrot chunks that might be unpleasant to bite into.

• Oil is Key: Using oil instead of butter keeps the cake moist and tender. Opt for a neutral-flavored oil like canola or vegetable oil.

• Don’t Overmix: Overmixing the batter can lead to a tough and dense cake. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.

• Soften Up: Ensure your cream cheese and butter are completely softened at room temperature before beating it. This prevents lumps and creates a smooth frosting.

• Toasted Perfection: Toast your nuts (like pecans or walnuts) for 10 minutes at 350°F an extra layer of flavor and a delightful textural contrast with the moist cake.

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