carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
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SIMPLE CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Carrot cake
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 10 slices
Calories 503kcal
Author Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
  • 3/4 cups chopped walnuts

For the frosting

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
  • milk to adjust consistency if needed

Instructions

For the cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and line the bottom of two 6 inch pans with parchment paper. 
  • Beat the oil, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt on low speed for 3 minutes. Mix the flour with the baking soda and stir into the liquid mixture until incorporated. Add the carrots and nuts and mix until just combined. Divide evenly between pans. 
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cakes for a few minutes in the pan and then cool completely outside the pans.

For the frosting

  • Beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the salt and vanilla. 
  • Beat in the sugar starting with 2 1/2 cups first and adding more if needed. Add a teaspoon of milk if you need looser frosting or add sugar if you need it stiff.

Notes

This recipe is taken right from King Arthur Flour. I only cut the amounts in half to make my 6 inch cake.
When grating carrots, use the finest holes on your grater.