Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups finely grated carrots (about 5 medium carrots)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened, for frosting
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, for frosting
• 4 cups powdered sugar, for frosting
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, for frosting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper circles.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth, then whisk in the eggs one at a time until fully combined.
4. Add the dry flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain; do not overmix, as this keeps the cake tender rather than dense.
5. Fold in the grated carrots and toasted walnuts by hand until evenly distributed through the batter.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with a spatula.
7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back lightly when pressed in the middle.
8. Let the cakes cool in their pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and turn them out onto the rack to cool completely, at least 1 hour, before frosting.
9. For the frosting, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy with no lumps.
10. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating on low speed after each addition to avoid a sugar cloud, then mix in the vanilla extract and beat on medium speed for 1 minute until light and fluffy.
11. Place one cake layer on a serving plate, top-side down, and spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly over it with an offset spatula.
12. Set the second cake layer on top, top-side up, and frost the top and sides of the entire cake with the remaining frosting, using long smooth strokes.
13. Refrigerate the finished cake for at least 30 minutes to help the frosting set before slicing with a warm, clean knife.

Tips

Why You'll Love This

• Moist, deeply spiced layer cake with real carrot texture
• Classic tangy cream cheese frosting
• Impressive centerpiece for a celebration

Nutrition

Nutrition values are estimated per serving based on the ingredients used.