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side view of carrot cake

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Julia Frey of Vikalinka
Classic flavours of cinnamon and vanilla flavoured carrot cake with the fluffiest cream cheese frosting, that is not too sweet or heavy. 
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 10
Calories 563 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the cake

  • 200g/1 cup white sugar
  • 100g/1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 3 eggs large
  • 170ml/3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 280g/2 cups all purpose/plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 5 (3 cups) shredded carrots medium carrots

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 400g/14 oz cream cheese full fat
  • 300ml/1 ¼ cup double/heavy whipping cream 36% fat content
  • 65g/1/2 cup icing sugar/powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 55g/1/2 cup toasted and chopped walnuts or pecans for decoration
  • 8 ready made candy or white chocolate decorative carrots

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease 2 X 8 inch pans and dust with flour to prevent the cake from sticking.
  • Beat the both sugars, eggs and oil in the bowl of an electric mixer until well combined for about 1 minute. Then add in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder, vanilla and salt, mix well but to do not overmix. Then stir in the carrots with a spatula.
  • Evenly divide the batter between two pans and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick, it should come out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn out on a wire rack and cool completely. While the cake is cooling toast the nuts in a dry frying pan until they start to release aroma and getting a touch of colour. Remove from the pan, chop roughly and set aside till needed.
  • In a mixing bowl combine the full fat cream cheese, double/whipping cream, icing sugar and vanilla and whip with an electric mixer until stiff. This will take between 3-4 minutes but will be significantly shorter if whipped in a stand mixer with a balloon attachment.
    For the US readers: Whip room temperature cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Whip the whipping cream separately. Fold the whipping cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combined.
  • To assemble the cake set one sponge on a cake stand or a flat plate and spread ¼ of the cream cheese frosting on it, then top with the second layer. Cover the top and sides with cream cheese frosting using an offset spatula, reserving ½ cup of the frosting to pipe rosettes on top if desired. Or finish the cake with pretty swirls using the back of a spoon. Top with ready made candy or white chocolate carrots. (Alternatively you can use pecan halves as decoration instead of candy carrots.)Then press the chopped nuts into the sides of the cake.

Nutrition

Calories: 563kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 9gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 406mgPotassium: 346mgFiber: 2gSugar: 41gVitamin A: 6149IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 131mgIron: 2mg
Keyword carrot cake
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