CARROT CAKE RECIPE

The only Carrot Cake Recipe, with the richest and creamiest cream cheese frosting, you’ll ever want to have! This deliciously moist cake stands tall with four thick layers and is perfect for so many special occasions, all year long!

INGREDIENTS  

carrot cake

• 4 1/2 cups cake flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 cups finely grated carrots
• 1 cup dried currants (raisins are fine)

cream cheese frosting

• 16 ounces softened cream cheese
• 1 cup softened unsalted butter
• 5 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• pinch salt

garnish

• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS  

carrot cake

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Lightly grease bottom and sides of 4 (9 inch) cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.

Place flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg into a large mixing bowl and whisk together.

In another mixing bowl combine butter, sugars, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla and whisk together.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, in thirds, stirring together after each addition.

Continue to stir batter until completely combined and no dry spots remain. Fold in carrots and currants.

Fill each prepared cake pan evenly with batter.

Bake cake rounds in center rack of oven for 24 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs on it, when inserted into the center of each round.

Cool cake rounds for 15 minutes. Then remove each cake from cake pans, peel away parchment and transfer to cooling racks. Cool completely. Refrigerate cake layers for at least 2 hours.

cream cheese frosting

With a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides of the bowl.

Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time and continue to beat together.

Add vanilla and salt and scrape down sides of the bowl and continue to beat together until light and fluffy. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of frosting.