Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

By McLean

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple or unsweetened apple sauce (can blend pineapple in blender)
• 1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 2-3 large carrots)
• 1 cup crushed pecans or walnuts, divided (optional)
• Frosting:
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups powder sugar, plus more as needed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch salt

Details

Adapted from cafedelightss.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the base of each pan with parchment paper.
2. Combine together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a bowl until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl whisk the oil, pineapple, sugars and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time until well combined. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until the batter is smooth, while scraping the batter from the sides of the bowl. Fold in grated carrots, 3/4 cup of nuts.
4. Divide the batter between the cake pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or when a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.
5. Let cool in pans for 30 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks peeling the paper off the base of each cake as you go. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:
1. In large bowl, beat together softened cream cheese and butter, scraping down sides of bowl when needed, for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. (Use mixer)
2. Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar, adding more sugar if needed until frosting is thick and spreadable.
3. Frost cooled cake and top with remaining crushed nuts for decoration. (optional)