Carrot Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting will make you famous where ever you take it. It’s SO Delicious!
This carrot cake is everything you LOVE about carrot cake- moist, dense, and decadent. I love raisins so I add them in, if you’d rather have walnuts instead of raisins then replace them with equal amounts. Golden raisins are fabulous in this recipe too!
Yield: 12
Carrot Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 2 1/2 cup finely shredded carrots
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup canola or safflower oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 8ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups powder sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Finely grated lemon zest of one lemon
Instructions
- Allow butter, eggs, cream cheese reach room temperature (set out in the morning)
- Toast nuts: cook for 8 min, in skillet, over medium high on stove; stirring constantly and cool.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place oven rack in the center of the oven.
- Butter two 9x2 inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with a circle of parchment, then butter again.
- In a small sauce pan over med-low combine water and raisins; cook until soft and liquid evaporates.
- In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
- Using a standing mixer or hand mixer beat eggs for 1 minutes until frothy, gradually to the eggs and beat until the batter is thick and light colored (4 min), slowly add oil in a steady stream, add vanilla.
- Add flour mixture 1 cup at a time mixing with each addition until moist.
- Hand stir in the carrots, raisins, and nuts. Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center removes clean.
- Cool on wire rack in pan for 10 minutes, turn out, cool completely before frosting.
- Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Cream the butter and cream cheese till smooth, add powder sugar, vanilla, lemon zest.
- Place one cake layer on serving dish, spread with 1/3 the frosting.
- Place the other cake on top, face side down, frost the top and sides of cake.
When I make this cake I’m reminded of one of my favorite books, “Eat Cake” by Jeanne Ray. It’s the funniest little book, it’ll have you laughing and shedding a few tears too- any foodie in your life will absolutely love it!
Happy Thursday 🙂
Much Love and Peace~
Ruthie
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