CARROTY CARROT CAKE + CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

The following carrot cake recipe is a simple one, but it is far superior to all the others that may be considered “try-hards”. The cake is a potluck favorite and a family tradition. This instructable will guide you through the construction of a very moist two-layered carrot cake with an amazing cream cheese frosting that sits between the layers and generously coats the entire exterior with a colorful carrot decoration on top to tie it all together.

❂ Ingredients ❂

Carrot Cake:

2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 cups of sugar

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

3 cups of finely shredded carrots

1 cup of vegetable oil

4 eggs

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 3 ounce packages of cream cheese (softened)

½ cup of butter (softened)

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

4 ½ cups of powdered sugar (sifted)

Decoration (optional):

1 piece of cardstock paper

Scissors

Green sprinkles

½ cup of shredded carrots (doesn’t need to be exact)

❂ Supplies ❂

Cake pans (two 9x1-½-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan)

Electric Mixer

Mixing bowl

Cheese grater

Spatulas

Butter knife

Measuring cups & measuring spoons

Toothpicks (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease and lightly flour your pans of choice and then set them aside. I recommend using two 9x1-½-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

Wash and cut off the ends of your carrots. I usually peel a whole bag of full carrots.

Using your cheese grater, shred your carrots into a large bowl.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. You can hand mix it or mix it with an electric mixer until fully incorporated.

Add carrots, vegetable oil, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer until combined.

Pour the carrot cake batter into your greased and floured pans.

If you are using two round pans, bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or if you are using a 13x9 pan, bake for 40 minutes. When you can stick a toothpick or a butter knife into the center of your cakes and it comes out clean, your cakes are done.

Cool cakes on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife along the outside of your pans then flip them over onto the racks. At this point, you can do some extra flipping and maneuvering for your cakes to cool with the top up or you can just leave them upside down because when you assemble your cake, you will need them to be upside down again. Leave them to cool thoroughly. If you’re in a hurry you can throw them in the freezer for a few minutes or crack a window.

Below is a link to a youtube video on How to Get Cake Out of a Pan:

While your cakes are cooling you can work on the cream cheese frosting.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Beat them together until it is light and fluffy.

Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar and continue mixing.

If the powdered sugar is getting caked on the edges of the bowl you can use a spatula to scrape the bowl and put it in toward the center with the rest of the mixture.

Gradually beat in the rest of the powdered sugar and beat until it reaches a spreadable consistency.

Flip the first layer (if you made 2 round cakes) of your cake onto the platter or cake stand of your choice. Use a spatula to add your frosting to the top of your cake, then spread and smooth with a butter knife. I find this is easier than just using a spatula because the frosting sticks to the spatula more than it does to the butter knife.

Add the second layer on top and frost it just like you did the first layer.

This is where you can either decide to stop and serve your cake with a clean look or you can choose to add some decorations.

I decided to go with a carrot on top of my carrot cake with green sprinkles for the tops and shredded carrots for the carrot, you can too.

Use cardstock to cut out the shape of your carrot greens to use as a stencil for your sprinkles.

The cream cheese frosting isn’t super sticky so you have to push the sprinkles into the frosting a little bit so that they stay in place.

I used leftover shredded carrots to make the carrot part of the decoration.

And there you have it: the easiest, yummiest, and cutest carrot cake around.