Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Flavorful carrot cake recipe with a smooth cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 cups flour
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2-1 tsp nutmeg
- 3 cups carrots finely grated
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1.5 cups canola oil
For the frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup butter 1 stick
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts omit it you do not want this in the topping
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Bake the cake.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
- Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add oil, then fold in the carrots. Add eggs one at a time.
- Divide batter evenly between the two cake pans. If making cupcakes, pour the batter until 2/3rds full.
- Bake at 350°F until the cake is slightly browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. This is usually 35-45 minutes. Check at 35 minutes and increase bake time if needed.
- Allow the cake to cool in pans for 10-15 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack. Make sure the cakes cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting.
- Cream together cream cheese and butter. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar.
- Add the walnuts, if desired, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
Frost the cake.
- Once the cakes have cooled, level off the top of one of the cakes to use as the bottom. This will allow the two cakes to sit nicely on each other. Frost the bottom cake, add the second layer of cake, and then finish off by frosting the top of the cake. And try not to eat all of the frosting first ;)