The Best Layered Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Using large carrots for this recipe is important. Peel them and then shred them. Add them to the sugar, eggs and oil that have been well beaten. Add the flour to the top of the bowl and then the salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Toss those together with a fork to combine. Add the raisins, almonds and coconut and stir everything, just until combined. You don’t want to over mix.

Grab some parchment paper and use your cake pans to trace two circles onto the paper. Cut them out and line your pans with them. Also spray them generously with cooking spray. Spread the batter into the pans and then bake. They are finished when a toothpick insterted into the center comes out clean. Allow them to rest for 10 minutes, then use a knife to loosen the cake from the edges of the pan. I like to go all the way around to be sure nothing sticks.

Invert the cakes onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Make the delicious frosting. I like to reserve about 1/2 C to turn green and orange to pipe little carrots along the top, but that’s optional.

Frost the top of the bottom piece of cake and place the second piece on top.

Frost the top and then add several large dollops towards the edges. Gently bring the frosting down from the top to coat the sides of the cake. Smooth it out the best you can. We aren’t looking to win an award here. We just want to feed our families and friends something homemade and delicious. If it looks reasonably pretty, that’s a bonus. 😉

Go for the carrots if you so choose. 🙂 I just used a small round cake decorating tip and made squiggly lines.

It’s so good!

Carrot Cake

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Serves: 15 servings Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes + time to cool and frost 30 minutes + time to cool and frost

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 2 C sugar
• 1 C oil
• 4 beaten eggs
• 3 C grated carrots
• 2 C flour
• 1 t salt
• 2 t baking soda
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1/2 C raisins
• 1/2 C coconut
• 1/2 C nuts (I usually use almonds)
• Frosting:
• 2    8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick salted butter
• 5 C powdered sugar

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl combine the sugar and oil and eggs. Mix for about 2 minutes.

2. Add the carrots, mix for 10 seconds to incorporate.

3. In a separate bowl combine all of the dry ingredients. (Not the raisins, coconut and nuts.)

4. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones.

5. Add the coconut, nuts and raisins.

6. Pour batter into 2 greased round or square 9 inch cake pans.

CAUTION: this recipe doesn't work well in a 9x13 pan. The center has a hard time cooking and will be mushy and fall. You really need to use 2 smaller pans to make it work.

7. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

8. Cool cakes on a wire wrack.

9. To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl, for about 2 minutes. You want to get them well blended.

10. Add the powdered sugar and beat another 2 minutes. If the frosting is too thick you can add just a touch of hot water. 

11. When the cakes are cool frost and enjoy!

Notes

This cake is even better the second and third day. Store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.