Moist Carrot Cake with Walnuts and Raisins
Truth: Carrot cake is only as good as it is moist. That's why this moist carrot cake is here to fulfill all your carrot cake hopes and dreams. Packed with warm spices, toasted walnuts, and coconut and smothered in a thick layer of cream cheese frosting – this cake will be on your mind long after it's gone!
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon EACH: ground nutmeg, ground allspice, and sea salt
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 1 ½ cups toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup shredded toasted coconut
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup cooking oil
- 4 large eggs
Cream Cheese Icing
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Chopped pecans or walnuts, to decorate
Instructions
Carrot Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and sea salt.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon EACH: ground nutmeg, ground allspice, and sea salt
- In a large bowl, cream the sugar and oil using electric beaters. Add the eggs and beat until smooth, 1 minute. Add flour mixture and beat till just combined.1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 1 cup cooking oil, 4 large eggs
- Add the carrots, walnuts, coconut, and raisins and gently fold them into the batter.3 cups grated carrots, 1 ½ cups toasted walnuts, 1 cup shredded toasted coconut, 1 cup raisins
- Divide batter between the 2 prepared cake pans. Place both pans on the middle rack in your oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and set them aside to cool for 5 minutes. Carefully run an off-set spatula or a knife around the edges of each cake to loosen them then carefully invert them onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
Cream Cheese Icing
- Make the frosting once the cakes are completely cool. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter using electric beaters. Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and continue to mix until it's fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat to blend.8 ounces cream cheese, 3 cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla, ½ cup butter
- To assemble the cake, place one cake on a plate or cake stand. Spread some icing on top of the cake and then place the other cake on top. Frost the sides and top of the cake. If you'd like, sprinkle some chopped pecans or walnuts on top of the cake to decorate it.Chopped pecans or walnuts
Notes
Raisins: I know that not everyone is a fan of raisins. If you don't like them, simly omit them.
Walnuts: Pecans are another good option!
Can you taste the coconut? The toasted coconut does add some flavor to the cake. However, it doesn't have a strong coconut flavor. The spices will be the strongest flavor you'll taste. If you don't like coconut, you can omit it without altering the rest of the recipe.
Can I make cupcakes instead of cake? Definitely! Instead of dividing the batter into two cake pans, evenly scoop the batter into lined muffin tins instead, filling them ¾ of the way full. You can follow the cream cheese icing recipe to use as frosting for your cupcakes. Check on your cupcakes after 18-20 minutes in the oven.
This moist carrot cake recipe was adapted from this carrot cake by Brown Eyed Baker.
Serving: 1 slice (of 16), Calories: 609kcal, Carbohydrates: 67g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 77mg, Sodium: 472mg, Potassium: 293mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 43g, Vitamin A: 4450IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 86mg, Iron: 2mg