Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Easter may be over but I have made this Carrot Cake the last two years so I wanted to share.  Anyone else think carrot cake just goes with Easter??  It has definitely become a keeper at our house!  I hadn’t always loved carrot cakes but this one is not too overdone with carrots and stuff inside, I think it is just the perfect amount!  And with the homemade cream cheese frosting it is amazing!  I would love for you to try it out and let me know what you think!  

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 2 nine-inch cake pans with Crisco.  Cake pans with higher sides work best as  this makes a lot of batter.  If you have cake pans with shorter sides you could always use 4 pans instead of 2.

Measure out your raisins and then fill up your measuring cup with water to just past the raisins.  This will get them nice and soft if they were not before.  If they are already soft you can skip this step.  Just let them hang out while you assemble the rest of your cake.  

Grate up your carrots.  I use the fine shredder on my cheese grater.  I you have a food processor with a fine grater you can use that too.  

In your mixer with the whisk attachment whisk together your sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract until thick.  Then add in your flour, baking powder, cinnamon and mix gently.  

With your paddle attachment add in your raisins (don’t forget to drain them) and grated carrots and mix until well combined.  

Pour into your prepared pans and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes our clean.  If using 4 cake pans you will want to adjust the cooking time down and then keep checking them.  

Leave to cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then turn onto a cooling rack.  

Allow the cakes to completely cool before frosting.  

While you are waiting prepare your frosting.  In the bowl of your electric mixer with the whisk attachment cream your cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Then slowly add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk until it is smooth and creamy.  

When your cake is cooled take a knife and slice each cake half in half again so you will now have 4 layers of cake.  

Take one layer and put it on your cake stand and then spread some frosting evenly all over the top.  Repeat with the next 4 layers.  I like to leave the sides unfrosted on this cake and it makes it nice and easy.  I just kind of smooth out any goopy layers of frosting on the outside with my spatula when I am done.  It kind of gives it a rustic look and it also shows the beauty of the 4 layers!  

After frosting all 4 layers your should still have frosting left.  Divide that out into two bowls adding a little more frosting into one of the bowls.  The bowl with more frosting add your orange food coloring and the other bowl add your green food coloring.  I like to use plastic bowls when mixing food coloring so I can just throw the whole thing away when I am done and not have it stain my white bowls.  

To make the little carrots on top I use Wilton decorating bags and tips.  I love having these on hand for fun cakes or cupcakes.  I have used the decorating tips so much throughout the years.  Even if you need to make quick cupcakes with store bought icing for a birthday party they can make them look so much more fancy….and they are so easy to use! Here is a good set I will link up for you to get you started!  (Amazon affiliate link)

Fill one bag with orange frosting to make your carrots and then make little squiggles back and forth.  Start small and then get wider to get your carrot look.  Continue with the carrots all around the cake.  

Wash out your tip when done and then fill up another bag with green frosting to make the carrot stems.  

And there you have beautiful Carrot Cake!  Keep it in the refrigerator until your are ready to serve.  I love tradition and we now all look forward to this cake every year.  It makes the perfect Easter dessert but it can be great all through the spring and summer!

Here is your printable recipe!

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

 

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This cake is perfect for Easter or all through the spring and summer!

Author: A Fireman's Wife

Recipe type: Cake

Ingredients

• Cake:
• Crisco for greasing the pan
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sunflower oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2¾ cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups finely shredded carrots, packed down
• ½ cup raisins
• Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 2 (8oz) packages cream cheese softened
• 1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) butter softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Orange food coloring
• Green food coloring
• Decorating bags and tips (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease 2 nine-inch cake pans with Crisco. Cake pans with higher sides work best as this makes a lot of batter. If you have cake pans with shorter sides you could always use 4 pans instead of 2.
3. Measure out your raisins and then fill up your measuring cup with water to just past the raisins. This will get them nice and soft if they were not before. If they are already soft you can skip this step. Just let them hang out while you assemble the rest of your cake.
4. Grate up your carrots. I use the fine shredder on my cheese grater. I you have a food processor with a fine grater you can use that too.
5. In your mixer with the whisk attachment whisk together your sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract until thick. Then add in your flour, baking powder, and cinnamon and mix gently.
6. With your paddle attachment add in your raisins (don't forget to drain them) and grated carrots and mix until well combined.
7. Pour into your prepared pans and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes our clean. If using 4 cake pans you will want to adjust the cooking time down and then keep checking them.
8. When the cakes are done leave to cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then turn onto a cooling rack.
9. Allow the cakes to completely cool before frosting.
10. While you are waiting prepare your frosting. In the bowl of your electric mixer with the whisk attachment cream your cream cheese and butter until smooth. Then slowly add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk until it is smooth and creamy.
11. When your cake is cooled take a knife and slice each cake half in half again so you will now have 4 layers of cake.
12. Take one layer and put it on your cake stand and then spread some frosting evenly all over the top. Repeat with the next 4 layers. I like to leave the sides unfrosted on this cake and it makes it nice and easy. I just kind of smooth out any goopy layers of frosting on the outside with my spatula when I am done. It kind of gives it a rustic look and it also shows the beauty of the 4 layers.
13. After frosting all 4 layers your should still have frosting left. Divide that out into two bowls adding a little more frosting into one of the bowls. The bowl with more frosting add your orange food coloring and the other bowl add your green food coloring.
14. With your decorating bags and tips pipe on the carrots all around the cake with the orange. Make little squiggles back and forth. Start small and then get wider to get your carrot look. Then pipe on the carrot stems with the green.
15. Store in the refrigerator until your are ready to serve.

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