Description
This Best Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a moist, flavorful dessert featuring a blend of warm spices and finely grated carrots, topped with a rich, tangy cream cheese frosting. Decorated with colorful frosting designs and crunchy nuts, it makes a perfect centerpiece for any celebration or cozy gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients for Cake
- 10 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup (110 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 cups (220 g) finely grated carrots, at room temperature
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, cold
- 2 1/2 cups (325 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Orange and green food coloring
- Chopped walnuts or pecans for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9×9 inch baking pan with non-stick spray and line it with parchment paper to ensure easy removal of the cake.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on high speed to cream the softened unsalted butter with granulated sugar and light brown sugar until fluffy and light, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Incorporate eggs one at a time along with vanilla extract, mixing on medium to medium-high speed until the batter is smooth, pale, and slightly fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Add Dry Mix and Buttermilk: Alternately add the dry ingredient mixture and buttermilk in batches to the butter mixture, mixing on low then medium speed just until combined. Be careful not to overmix for a tender batter.
- Fold in Carrots: Gently fold in the finely grated carrots using a rubber spatula until just combined, keeping the batter light.
- Transfer Batter and Bake: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 54 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the Cake: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then lift the cake out using the parchment paper and place it on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare Frosting – Beat Butter: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter on high speed with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add Cream Cheese: Add the cold cream cheese and mix on high speed until the mixture is fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Add Powdered Sugar: Sift powdered sugar into the bowl gradually, mixing on low then medium-low speed until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Add Vanilla and Beat: Mix in vanilla extract on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, around 1 to 2 minutes.
- Color the Frostings: Divide the frosting into two small bowls. Add orange food coloring to one and green to the other; mix until desired intensity is reached.
- Frost the Cake: Place the cooled cake on a serving plate and spread a thick, even layer of plain cream cheese frosting over the top using an offset spatula.
- Pipe Decorations: Fill piping bags fitted with small tips—use a round tip for orange frosting to create carrot bodies and a star tip for green frosting to pipe carrot stems. Pipe mini carrots evenly spaced over the cake surface. Optionally, slice the cake into 16 squares before decorating for precision.
- Garnish: Sprinkle chopped walnuts or pecans over the decorated cake to add texture and a nutty flavor.
Notes
- Make sure all wet ingredients are at room temperature for a smooth batter.
- Avoid overmixing the batter once dry ingredients are added to keep the cake tender.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting to prevent frosting from melting.
- You can replace walnuts or pecans with your preferred nuts or omit for nut-free version.
- For best results, cream cheese should be cold when adding to the frosting mixture.
- Use parchment paper in the baking pan to make cake removal easier and cleaner.
