Recipe Girl’s Banana-Carrot Cake with Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting

By srumbel

Recipe Girl's banana-carrot cake with cinnamon-cream cheese frosting from her new Recipe Girl cookbook. This is quite simply, the best carrot cake I've ever had.

from asouthernfairytale.com

Ingredients

• Cake
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots (about 3/4 pound)
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana (2 large or 3 medium bananas)
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• Frosting
• 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped, optional

Preparation

Step 1

Cake
1.Pre-heat the oven to 350°F - spray 9X13 pan with nonstick spray**
2.Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside
3.In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the sugar and eggs. Mix until it looks like the mixture has about tripled in volume, 3 to 4 minutes.
4.Mix in the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in the carrots and banana.
5.Add the butter and stir until it is mixed into the batter.
6.Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.*
7.Bake 35 to 40 minutes*

Frosting
8.In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese and butter. Add the sugars, vanilla and cinnamon. Spread a thick layer of frosting onto the cooled cake*. Sprinkle with chopped pecans if desired.

Rachel Says

The * by some of the directions indicate that those are where it differs if you are making cupcakes, Lori includes directions for cake and cupcakes in her cookbook. This is the best carrot cake that I've ever had.