Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

5 from 6 votes

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Bake a moist Carrot Cake from scratch! This recipe features cream cheese frosting, pecans, warm spices, and a tender crumb.

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Cakes, Dessert, Easter

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 844kcal

Author: Susan Ensley

Equipment

Electric hand mixer
2 9-inch round cake pans
Baker's Joy Nonstick Baking Spray with Flour
wire cooling rack
piping tips and piping bags
large ice cream scoop
icing spatula

Ingredients

For the Carrot Cake

2 c All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 tsp Baking Powder
½ teaspoon Salt
1 tbs Ground Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
4 Extra Large Eggs room temperature
¾ c Canola Oil
¾ c Buttermilk room temperature
1 c White Sugar
1 c Brown Sugar tightly packed
1 tbs Vanilla Extract
1 8 oz Canned Crushed Pineapple drained and juice squeezed out
12 oz Shredded Carrots finely grated with small grater blade
1 c Sweetened Coconut Flakes
1 c Toasted Pecan Pieces¹

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

1 lb Cream Cheese room temperature
8 oz Unsalted Butter room temperature
1 tbs Vanilla Extract
⅛ tsp Salt
2 lbs Powdered Sugar
2 c Toasted Pecan Pieces
Orange Gel Food Coloring
Green Gel Food Coloring

Instructions

To Make the Carrot Cake

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. Then, use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients together. Set the bowl aside until ready to use.
In a large bowl, add the canola oil, buttermilk, extra-large eggs, and vanilla extract. Then, beat the wet ingredients together with an electric hand mixer until they are emulsified and well combined.
Add the white and brown sugars to the mixed wet ingredients, then beat with the mixer until well combined.
Next, add the combined dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and beat until just combined.
Next, add the shredded carrots, sweetened coconut flakes, crushed pineapple, and toasted pecan pieces. Stir everything together with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula just until combined. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as you mix.
Grease and flour² two 9-inch round cake pans. Then, divide the batter evenly between the two pans. 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. After 10 minutes, turn the cakes out into wire racks and cool them completely before frosting.³

To Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

Place the room-temperature cream cheese, room-temperature unsalted butter, salt, and vanilla extract in a very large bowl. Beat the ingredients together with an electric hand mixer until well combined and creamy.
Next, add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl after each beating. Reserve about 1 ½ cups of frosting for decorating.

To Finish the Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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, about one cup, of Cream Cheese Frosting on top of the cake. 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.
Next, place the other cake layer, top side down, onto the spread-out frosting. Using the ice cream scoop, add two scoops, about one cup, of frosting to the top of the cake and spread it into a smooth, even layer. Begin spreading the frosting down the sides of the cake using the 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.
Once the cake is completely frosted, use your hands to press toasted pecan pieces into the frosting on the sides of the Carrot Cake.
Place about a cup of the reserved cream cheese frosting into a piping bag with a large star tip and pipe a border around the top of the Carrot Cake.
Place about ¾ cup of the remaining frosting into a small bowl, add 2-3 drops of orange gel food coloring, then mix the color into the frosting using a small silicone spatula. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe carrot shapes onto the top of the cake.
Place the remaining 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. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a small star tip and pipe the tops of the carrots.
Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Yield 12-16 servings.

Notes

Toast pecans for 10 minutes at 350°F.
I like to use Baker's Joy Nonstick Baking Spray with Flour.
I like to wrap my cakes in plastic wrap overnight and frost the next day.

Nutrition