The Best Carrot Cake recipe just in time for Easter. I don't consider myself a big baker. I get nervous to try new things, especially cakes like this. But most of the time after I try I find that it was easier than I thought. That is the case with this cake. This recipe is easy to do and will make you look like a professional baker. I promise! And it is perfect for Easter!
Ingredients
(Serves 10 to 12)
Cake
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
½ tsp. Salt
1 ½ tsp. Ground Cinnamon
¼ tsp. Ground Cloves
3/4 tsp. Ground Ginger
¼ tsp. Ground Nutmeg
4 Eggs, room temperature
½ cup Sugar
1 ½ cups Packed Light Brown Sugar
1 cup Olive Oil
¾ cups Unsweetened Applesauce
1 ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 cups Grated Carrots
1 cup Chopped Pecans, plus 3 tbsp. for topping the cake
Icing
16 oz Cream Cheese, room temp
½ cup Unsalted Butter, softened
4 cups Confectioners Sugar
1 ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 pinch Salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2- 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper and grease with olive oil.
In a bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. Then get in the sugar and brown sugar and whisk again until there are no lumps.
Next, add the olive oil, applesauce and vanilla.
Fold the wet ingredients into the dry. Combine and add in the carrots and pecans.
Divide the batter equally into the two cake pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
For the icing….in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment add in the cream cheese and butter.
Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes then add in the confectionary sugar, vanilla and salt. Combine for 4 minutes.
When the cake is done remove from the oven, cool and remove from the cake pan.
When the cake is ready to be iced, take one layer of cake and put on a platter. Top it with the icing then add the other layer to the top.
Use the remainder of the icing to ice the cake.
Top with cake with the remaining 3 tbsp. of pecans and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
Can be made a day in advance and kept in the refrigerator.