Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese
A moist and flavorful carrot cake topped with creamy frosting, perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- In another bowl, blend the vegetable oil and eggs until smooth. Gradually fold in the grated carrots and crushed pineapple. Optionally, add the chopped nuts.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Baking
- Grease and flour two round cake pans, then evenly divide the batter into them.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting and Serving
- While the cakes cool, whip together the cream cheese and butter until creamy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing until smooth, and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Once the cakes are completely cooled, spread a generous layer of frosting between the two layers and then cover the top and sides of the cake.
Notes
If your cake isn't perfectly level, a light trim to the top can do wonders. For a bit of zing, add a tablespoon of orange zest to the frosting. This cake freezes beautifully; just wrap it tightly in plastic before freezing.