Carrot cake is a delicious, classic dessert that has been enjoyed for generations. It is a moist, light cake that is usually made with grated carrots, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sometimes raisins or walnuts. It is often frosted with cream cheese or butter cream frosting, but can also be enjoyed without frosting. It is a popular dessert for celebrations such as birthdays, special occasions, and holidays.
Carrot cake has its origins in Medieval Europe, where the carrot was used as a sweetener in cakes. Carrot cakes were popular in Germany, the Netherlands, and England during this time. It wasn’t until the mid-19th century that carrot cake became popular in the United States. The popularity of the dessert has grown over time, and it is now a favorite in many countries.
When making carrot cake, it is important to use fresh carrots, as they provide the best flavor and texture. The carrots should be grated into small pieces, then mixed with butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. The ingredients should be mixed together until everything is thoroughly combined. The cake can then be poured into a greased and floured pan and baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once the cake has cooled, it can be frosted with cream cheese or butter cream frosting. Other popular toppings for carrot cake include chopped nuts, shredded coconut, or raisins. The cake can also be decorated with flowers or other decorations.
Carrot cake can be served as a dessert or as a snack. It can be enjoyed alone or with a cup of tea or coffee. It is also a popular option for potlucks and other gatherings.
No matter how you enjoy it, carrot cake is a classic dessert that is sure to please. With its moist texture and sweet taste, it is a favorite among both children and adults. So why not try making carrot cake the next time you’re looking for something special to bring to a party or gathering? You’ll be sure to make a lasting impression!
1. Carrot Cake
For the cakes:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pans
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for pans
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
1 lb. carrots, 8-10 medium carrots, peeled and shredded, about 2 3/4 cups
2 cups pecans, divided (1 cup finely chopped, 1 cup coarsely chopped)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter 2 9-inch round cake pans. Fit the bottom of the pans with parchment rounds, then butter and flour the parchment lined pans, tapping out the excess flour.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
- Add in vanilla, water, and carrot and beat until well combined, scraping down bowl as needed. With the mixer on a low speed, slowly add in the flour mixture and then the finely chopped pecans.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake until golden brown and a tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans on wire rack for 15 minutes then run a sharp knife around the edge of the pans and remove cakes from pan. Cool cakes on wire rack completely.
- To frost the cakes, trim the top of one cake and spread 1 cup of cream cheese frosting on the cut side of the cake. Top with second cake and frost completely. Carefully press coarsely chopped pecans onto the sides of the cake. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
For the cream cheese frosting:
2 packages (16 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces & at room temperature
2 lbs. powdered sugar
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and vanilla on medium speed until creamy. Slowly add in butter and mix until well combined.
- On a low speed, slowly add in powdered sugar and beat until fluffy and smooth.
2. Pumpkin Carrot Cupcakes & Cake
Autumn is officially here. I know this because holiday decorations have shown up in full force at Target and since it’s October 3, Halloween candy is almost all gone. But it’s still the season for pumpkin everything. And carrot cake with pumpkin and spice is a tasty change from the plain old plain. Because I could not decide if this should be a cake or a cupcake, we have both.
Be sure to read through the recipe before you begin because you’ll want to allow time for the raisins to soak in the rum/water mixture – they plump up nicely, and when they’re processed with the carrots, the whole thing comes out with an evenly grated crumb – my preference. I don’t enjoy digging into a cake, only to find it loaded with chewy raisins. Reminds me of fruit cake. While loaded with carrots, pumpkin, and raisins, this cake is nothing at all like a fruit cake. It isn’t as dense nor as sweet.
The rum is the perfect behind-the-scenes flavor for the cake, but if you don’t want to use alcohol, then try the same amount of juice as a substitute and add water as directed.
The cream cheese frosting contains a little bit of pumpkin and spice complementing the flavors in the cake – and a little bit of frosting goes a long way, so no need to completely cover the cake. No special decorating skills are necessary. Piping the frosting with little blobs or covering it with some toasted chopped pecans is a great way to dress it up and call it an autumn dessert.
When making the frosting, be sure to keep the cream cheese and butter slightly chilled, so they don’t make the icing all melty. Also, be careful when adding pumpkin puree – one tablespoon at a time until the frosting consistency is just right. If you’ve gone a little overboard and it is too thin – the 411 rescue is to add more powdered sugar (sift the sugar for best results) until you’re back at the right consistency. Whip just until it comes together – further whipping warms up the cream cheese and butter, making it susceptible to, oh, say, becoming soup. If you wanted to use ready-made frosting, it would be ok with me. I’ve been known to do that from time to time. Dress up the canned frosting with a bit of pumpkin pie spice.
If you love carrot cake or cupcakes, this edition should be a winner. Here’s to autumn (and if anyone can tell me where all the O’Henry bars went, I’d like some for Halloween: Hello, Target?!).
The cake is going to be moist because of all those carrots and mushed raisins soaked in rum. Be sure to whip the frosting just until it comes together and then stops – making sure the butter and cream cheese are still slightly chilled for best results. And using pre-made commercial icing is fine – it makes the whole process a little quicker. Add a touch of pumpkin pie spice to the commercial frosting to give it a little kick. Also, be sure to toast the pecans for optimal flavor. Makes one 9-inch layer cake or 18-21 cupcakes.
Ingredients:
Cake
- 150 grams dark raisins (1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons rum (or orange juice)
- 285 grams carrots, shredded (3 cups loosely packed)
- 140 grams pumpkin puree (1/2 cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- 100 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 150 grams brown sugar (3/4 cup)
- 3 extra-large eggs
- 85 grams buttermilk (1/3 cup)
- 115 grams canola oil (1/2 cup)
- 260 grams Canteen blend flour (2 cups) (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 120 grams toasted pecans, roughly chopped (1 cup)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 115 grams unsalted butter, chilled but not stiff (8 tablespoons)
- 57 grams cream cheese, cold pieces (4 tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 500 grams powdered sugar, sifted (about 4 ½ cups)
- 2-3 tablespoons pumpkin puree
Instructions
- Add rum to raisins in a small bowl. Add water until the liquid reaches the top of the raisins. Soak for a minimum of 30 minutes and then drain the liquid (save for another use or discard).
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place liners in two 12-count cupcake pans or grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of the 9-inch pans with parchment so the cake releases easily.
- In the bowl of a food processor or using a hand grater, shred carrots. Place shredded carrots, plumped (and drained) raisins, pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger in the bowl of a food processor with a cutting blade. Pulse until the mixture is thoroughly combined and the carrots and raisins are small pieces – the mixture will look gritty and smell great. In a large mixing bowl using a whisk, blend sugar and eggs until light and frothy. Blend in buttermilk and canola oil until thoroughly combined. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Beat until batter is smooth and light. Add the carrot pumpkin mixture and fold until thoroughly combined, and the batter looks like a happy orange pumpkin. Fold in chopped pecans. Scoop into liners or cake pans about ⅔ whole.
- For cupcakes: bake 12 minutes and rotate pans. Bake 6-9 minutes more or until a toothpick comes out with dry crumbs. Wet crumbs mean it should bake a few minutes more, but dry crumbs will mean it is done. It should be about 200° in the center using an instant-read thermometer. For the cake: bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with dry crumbs (see above). Cool cupcakes or cake in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes or until the pan can be handled without an oven mitt. Remove cupcakes to a rack to cool completely. Flip cake upside down onto clean parchment rounds on a shelf and cool completely before frosting.
- Whip butter and cream cheese just until combined. Beat in pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar on low until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree one tablespoon at a time until the consistency is right: thick but spreadable. Whip on high until the frosting turns a lighter color, about 15 seconds – don’t over whip, or it will become too thin. Pipe or spoon onto cupcakes. Split icing in half and apply to the cake. Add some chopped toasted pecans to the frosting and then top with another cake layer. Spoon or pipe frosting on the top layer. Optional: sprinkle cupcakes or the top of the cake with toasted pecans.
Notes
Canteen flour blend is two parts superfine brown rice flour plus 1 part each superfine white rice flour and tapioca flour by weight. See About Flour or Resources: Flour for more information.
3. CARROT CAKE
The carrot cake wasn’t one of my favorites growing up. I’ve always been a chocolate cake lover (and it’s still number one in my heart), and I wasn’t overly fond of eating baked goods with chopped nuts in them. But some of my tastes and preferences have adapted over the years, and carrot cake has grown on me as an adult. The cake isn’t quite as sweet as others but paired with a delicious cream cheese icing; it becomes a rich indulgence. When I thought ahead to recipes I wanted to create for spring, I knew a carrot cake needed to be on the list in time for Easter. It’s full of carrots, so it has to fit well with Paleo, right?
I made this cake to be paired with cream cheese icing. I tolerate dairy just fine in moderation, and cream cheese icing simply belongs with a carrot cake. My version is a rich indulgence that calls for cream cheese and grass-fed butter, but it’s still free of refined/processed sugars. It’s oh so worth it for dairy eaters. However, I know that not everyone has that option, so I tried to come up with a dairy-free icing that still tasted like cream cheese. After a few tries, I think I’ve come up with something that’s a good substitute, although it’s not quite the same. I’ve included both options in this post so you can make the choice that works best for you.
This cake is a great one to make for non-Paleo or gluten-free friends. They’ll likely be very surprised that it’s grain-free and doesn’t have any processed sugars!
INGREDIENTS
- 8 eggs
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- ⅔ cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup coconut flour sifted
- ⅔ cup tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ cups shredded carrots
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- ⅔ cup raisins (optional)
Cream Cheese Icing
- 16 ounces organic cream cheese, softened (I do recommend using organic dairy products, if possible)
- 1 cup grass-fed butter, softened
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dairy-Free Cashew Cream Icing
- 1½ cups raw cashews
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup palm shortening
- ½ cup maple syrup
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease the sides of 2 9-inch cake pan with coconut oil and cover the bottom with parchment paper.
- Combine the eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Mix until well blended.
- Combine the flours, sea salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add a little at a time into the liquid mixture until fully incorporated. Stir in the carrots, pecans, and raisins.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cakes cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing them from the pan. Cool completely before frosting.
- Cream Cheese Icing
- To make the icing, cream together the cream cheese and butter.
- Add the maple syrup and vanilla and beat until well combined.
- Dairy-Free Cashew Cream Icing
- Soak raw cashews in water for 5-8 hours. Drain.
- Add the cashews to a food processor and pulse until it resembles a soft paste. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
4. LITTLE CARROT CAKE
The first time I had carrot cake was at Morton’s Steakhouse in Chicago. I had never tried carrot cake because I thought it would not taste good, plus it was not a dessert that was ever made in my house growing up. I had just finished having dinner with my friends, and I saw a massive cake on display in a stand on the bar, and it looked delicious. That was my first time having carrot cake and also the best one I have ever tried. If you ever eat at Morton’s, try the carrot cake.
My husband’s favorite cake happens to be carrot cake, and since we have a small family, you all know I like to make small batch sweets. A 6 inch round cake pan is perfect for small batch baking and is just enough for my little family. My son Talal loves to help me bake and is getting quite good at it. I measure everything out, and he adds it I the bowl when I tell him. This was a straightforward cake to make, and it tasted great; it’s a keeper for sure.
CAKE:
- 1/4 cup sunflower oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup packed grated carrot
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
FROSTING:
- 3 ounce block of cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
TOPPING:
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
- Grease a 6” round cake pan with shortening. Preheat the oven to 350°.
- In a medium bowl, beat together with an electric mixer the oil and sugar. Beat very well, about 1 minute.
- Add the egg, cinnamon, and vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds. Beat in the carrot for about 15 seconds–you want it to break up a bit, so it stains the batter orange. Sprinkle the flour and baking powder on top and beat until just combined. Do not over-mix. You may stir in the walnuts at this point or save them for the frosting, your choice.
- Pour the batter into the pan, place it on a baking sheet, and bake for 24-26 minutes. Test with a toothpick before removing it from the oven–moist crumbs clinging to the toothpick are ideal.
- Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack before attempting to frost it.
- To make the frosting, ensure all ingredients are room temperature, or you will end up with lumps. Beat together everything with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Tip the cake out of the pan, place it on a serving plate upside down (so you have a flat surface on top), and spread the frosting on the cake. Garnish with walnuts. Cover and place in refrigerator until serving time.
Yields: 1 (6 inches) cake
5. Easy Carrot Cake Pie
Ingredients
- 1 Marie Callender’s® Pastry Shell
- 1 cup flour
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- 1/8 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. ginger
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F.
- Place pastry shell in a 9” pie plate and move to refrigerator.
- Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside
- In a mixer, blend butter and brown sugar. Stir in vanilla and eggs until smooth.
- In ½ cup portions, stir dry ingredients into wet mixture. Add carrots, raisins and chopped pecans. Stir until well-blended.
- Pour mixture into pastry shell. Bake for 25 minutes; check with a toothpick (comes out with only crumbs). Let the pie cool and enjoy!
- That’s it! This carrot cake pie recipe satisfies my fall season cravings. I recommend enjoying a slice with a cup of hot tea or a latte!
6. CARROT CAKE COOKIES
INGREDIENTS
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 2 Tablespoons honey or coconut nectar
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup palm shortening
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 3 Tablespoons coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup carrots, shredded
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
- ½ cup raisins (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Pulse eggs, coconut sugar, coconut nectar , applesauce, palm shortening and vanilla extract in a food processor or mix with an electric mixer.
- Add the flours, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon and process (or mix) until smooth, stopping once to scrape down the sides. Pulse again as needed.
- Stir in carrots, pecans and raisins.
- Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon to drop cookie dough onto a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Lightly press down to flatten.
- Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Cool on a wire rack.
- Makes 12-14 cookies.
NOTES
For a less sweet cookie, omit the coconut nectar or honey.
7. Paleo Carrot Cake
Let me tell you, last week were able to go to Lake Powell with my Aunt and Uncle. We were celebrating their anniversary. Usually Charlotte does these delicious Paleo desserts for our trips. But this time I was able to surprise them, it was their anniversary after all!
Here’s a little glimpse of the beautiful Lake Powell, it’s one of my favorite places!
The Paleo thing is really Glen and Charlotte’s thing. They have been eating that way for over a year. So we just go along with it when we get together. But let me tell you, I haven’t had anything I didn’t like yet! Charlotte does a great job in keeping yummy things to eat and snack on around and we don’t go hungry or miss out!
We are trying to eat healthier at our house too, but I love my pasta so I have trouble with the all Paleo. But Carrot Cake is one of my husband’s favorite desserts. So to celebrate their anniversary I made this cake. It was our dessert and ending of a perfect day each night while at Lake Powell.
Ingredients
- 4 cups organic carrots (grated)
- ½ cup raw honey
- 1 Tbsp organic maple syrup
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 6 eggs
- ¾ cup finely chopped walnuts
- For Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 package cream cheese
- ½ cup raw honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.
- Add in wet ingredients and blend again with your Ninja or mixer.
- Mix in optional nuts.
- Grease a 9X13 glass cake pan with coconut oil.
- Pour batter into your pan
- Bake about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Check with a toothpick.
- Cool completely.
- Top with Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Store in fridge.
8. Chocolate Carrot Cake Muffins
A few weeks ago, I bought one of the few Small Batch Baking cookbooks currently out. I have wanted one for a while because large amounts of baked goods do not go over well with my small family. We can not eat a large number of sweets in a few days. This book is perfect for those of us who love to bake and have small families. The first recipe I chose from the book was this delightful little recipe. I tweaked it a bit, adding dates instead of raisins. I guess you could say this is not your everyday carrot cake, and that’s a good thing considering the chocolate added to it.
ingredient:
- Nine tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1-1/2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped dates
- 2 tablespoons beaten egg
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup grated carrots
- 3 tablespoons crushed pineapple (reserve 2 tablespoons of pineapple juice)
- 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Glaze:
- 1-ounce cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
Direction:
- Pre-heat oven to 350F. In a food processor, separately pulse walnuts, chocolate, and carrots. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add flour, oil, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. Mix with a spoon.
- Add cinnamon, vanilla, oil, egg, dates, carrots, pineapple, and walnuts. Mix well with a spoon until combined.
- Line 3 large jumbo muffin cups or six regular cups. I am making sure to fill empty cups with water so the pan does not scorch. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add cream cheese, powdered sugar, and pineapple juice. Whisk together until the glaze is smooth.
- Allow muffins to cool, then glaze.
Yields: 3 jumbo or 6 regular muffins
9. CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE MUFFINS
A few weeks ago, I bought one of the few Small Batch Baking cookbooks currently out. I have wanted one for a while because large amounts of baked goods do not go over well with my small family. We can not eat a large number of sweets in a few days. This book is perfect for those of us who love to bake and have small families. The first recipe I chose from the book was this delightful little recipe. I tweaked it a bit, adding dates instead of raisins. I guess you could say this is not your everyday carrot cake, and that’s a good thing considering the chocolate added to it.
Ingredients :
- 9 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1-1/2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped dates
- 2 tablespoons beaten egg
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup grated carrots
- 3 tablespoons crushed pineapple (reserve 2 tablespoons of pineapple juice)
- 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Glaze:
- 1-ounce cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350F. In a food processor, separately pulse walnuts, chocolate, and carrots. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add flour, oil, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. Mix with a spoon.
- Add cinnamon, vanilla, oil, egg, dates, carrots, pineapple, and walnuts. Mix well with a spoon until combined.
- Line 3 large jumbo muffin cups or six regular cups. Making sure to fill empty cups with water so the pan does not scorch. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add cream cheese, powdered sugar, and pineapple juice. Whisk together until the glaze is smooth.
- Allow muffins to cool, then glaze.
Yields: 3 jumbo or 6 regular
10. Carrot Cake Mini Cupcakes
This weekend is Lulu’s birthday celebration, and she is turning seven, which is almost mid-century in dog years. She’d stand on her head for a carrot (think dog crack). I wanted to make her a version of this carrot cake without all the sweetener and nuts (or raisins) and figured I could make two versions as easily as one.
The people eating carrot cake cupcake is a mini – an excellent bite-size treat full of nuts, raisins, and that vegetable called carrot. And yes, I consented to the cream cheese frosting and whipped it like a real buttercream.
There will be no nuts or raisins (which are harmful to dogs), but that won’t detract from the little mini puppy birthday cakes. No sugar, but a tiny bit of honey gives it a nice twist. And these are topped with a little bit of Greek yogurt and a small carrot flower fit for a matronly old princess who is only 10 pounds soaking wet.
I will share birthday photos and the puppy carrot cupcake recipe this weekend – but for now, bake some of the people’s version carrot cake mini cupcakes and count that as a serving of vegetable for the day. A very delicious serving.
Thank you, Joanne, for changing my mind about carrots baked into a cake. This one rock.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 large eggs plus one egg white
- 200 grams brown sugar (not quite a cup)
- 150 grams veggie oil (I used peanut)
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
- 160 grams GF flour (75 grams superfine brown rice flour, 55 grams GF oat flour, 30 grams tapioca flour)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ginger powder
- 260 grams shredded carrots (about two cups)
- 80 grams dark or golden raisins (about a 1/2 cup)
- 50 grams chopped nuts – walnuts or pecans toasted (about a 1/2 cup)
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- 340 grams or 12 oz. cream cheese (not low-fat) room temperature
- 114 grams or 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 276 grams powdered sugar, sifted (about 2 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Toppings
- little carrot flowers
- tiny edible flowers
- sprinkles
- sparkling sugar
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 mini cupcake pans (24 each) with liners or grease and flour them.
- Beat eggs and sugar until light and thick – patient. It takes a while. In a small bowl, weigh out oil, buttermilk, and vanilla and mix. Pour into egg/sugar mixture and incorporate. Weigh out flours and add baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and whisk. Using a spatula, fold the flour into the wet mixture gently. Be sure to fold, not stir. Add the carrots, raisins, nuts and fold until thoroughly incorporated. Pour into the prepared cupcake tins – about 3/4 full.
- Bake about 10 minutes and rotate, and bake about 5-7 minutes more or until a toothpick comes out clean. They should feel springy to the touch. Cool for a minute, and then remove each cupcake to a rack to cool completely.
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Whip the room temperature cream cheese until light and fluffy, and then add the room temperature butter. Whip again until light and fluffy. On low, mix in the sugar and vanilla. I once incorporated whip on high for about 3 minutes. Refrigerate until cool enough to pipe.
- Making them Pretty
- Pipe the frosting on top and decorate with one of the suggested toppings (or your invention). Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time. Let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
Yum!