Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Super moist and tasty carrot cake topped with creamy cream cheese frosting.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• Cake

• 1  cup pecans
• 3⁄4 lb raw carrot, finely grated
• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4  large eggs
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 1  cup canola oil
• 2  teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1⁄4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8  ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 2  cups icing sugar, sifted
• 1  teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1  lemon, zest of, finely grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter or spray two - 9 x 2 inch cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with a circle of parchment paper.
3. Toast the pecans for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.
4. Peel and finely grate the carrots. Set aside.
5. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
6. I a large bowl beat the eggs until frothy.
7. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the batter is thick and light colored.
8. Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract.
9. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated.
10. With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts.
11. Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
12. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 5 -10 minutes invert the cakes onto the wire rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, and then cool completely before frosting.
13. While waiting for cake to finish cooling, beat the cream cheese and butter, on low speed, until very smooth with no lumps.
14. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat, on low speed, until fully incorporated and smooth.
15. Beat in the vanilla extract, and lemon zest.
16. To assemble: place one cake, top side down, onto your serving plate.
17. Spread with about a third of the frosting.
18. Gently place the other cake, top of cake facing up, onto the frosting, and spread the rest of the frosting over the top of the cake.
19. If desired, garnish with toasted nuts or toasted coconut and/or marzipan carrots.