Recipe: The Best Carrot Cake I’ve Ever Made

I’ve been making this carrot cake for a few years now and let me tell you, it is Da’ Bomb!  Everyone loves this cake and I am frequently asked for the recipe.  When I attend a pot luck or awards dinner and need to bring a dessert,  I bring this cake.  And every time I go home with an empty cake stand. If you are looking for a dessert to bring to Easter dinner, or you just want to make something special, I highly recommend this recipe.

This recipe was adapted from the Earth Bound Farms Cookbook

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups Sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda {15 Cool Uses for Baking Soda}
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups carrots, grated

Frosting

1 1/2 cups cream cheese, softened
3/4  cup unsalted butter, softened
5 cups powered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees . Butter and flour 2 round 9-inch cake pans and set aside. {I used insulated cake pans}

Sift together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir to combine. Fold in the shredded carrots.

Divide the batter between the 2 prepared pans. Bake for about 45- 55 minutes {or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean}.  Cool cake pans on wire racks.  Remove cake from pans, wrap in Saran wrap, the aluminum foil.  Place on a cookie sheet and freeze cake layers over night.

Over the years I have learned when making layer cakes it is best to slice the cakes while they are very cold.  This helps to eliminate excess crumbs.

After you cakes have chilled in the deep freeze set them on the counter and proceed to make the frosting.

To make the frosting, combined the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a medium-size bowl with a wire whisk until creamy{a Kitchen Aid mixer makes this a snap}. Slowly add in the powered sugar.

Building Your Cake

Place a dab of frosting in the center of your cake plate.  Add the first layer {you will need to cut both of your 2 cake layers in half to make a total of 4 layers}. Frost the center of each layer, then the top and sides.  Garnish with a foil wrapped chocolate carrot or fresh baby carrots from the garden if you have them.