Carrot Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Baked Treats, Desserts June 6th, 2020
Prep Time
30 Min
Cook Time
35 Min
Serving
8 Slices

This recipe makes the most moist carrot cake and I love the blend of spices used here. You can’t have carrot cake without cream cheese frosting, and even better that this one is whipped, light, and creamy!

Ingredients

For the carrot cake

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups grated carrots, lightly packed

For the whipped cream cheese frosting

  • 4 oz. block cream cheese, cold
  • ½ cup granulated white sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup heavy whipping cream or heavy cream, cold

Instructions

For the carrot cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 6-inch round cake pans well with butter or a butter spread and dust with flour. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, applesauce, and vanilla extract until fully combined. Add the grated carrots into the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a whisk or rubber spatula until just combined, making sure not to over mix the batter.
  5. Pour the cake batter evenly between both prepared cake pans. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until the tops of the cakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of each one comes out clean.
  6. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and allow to cool in the pans for about 20-25 minutes. Once the cakes have cooled, remove from the pans and return the cakes to the wire rack to finish cooling.
  7. While the cake is cooking, prepare the frosting.

For the whipped cream cheese frosting

  1. Beat cream cheese for about 15 seconds or until creamy.
  2. Add sugar, salt and vanilla and whip until fully combined.
  3. Drizzle cold cream down the side of the bowl (to prevent splashing) and beat until stiff peaks form.

To assemble the cake

  1. Level the tops of each cake with a knife or cake leveler.
  2. Place one of the cakes on a cardboard cake circle or cake stand, top with ½ cup of the frosting, and smooth it out into one even layer.
  3. Place the other cake on top upside down and use the remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake. Top with pecans and a dusting of cinnamon around the edges.