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
2cupsall-purpose flour
1teaspoonbaking powder
1teaspoonbaking soda
1 tablespoonground cinnamon
1teaspoonEACH: ground nutmeg, ground allspice, and sea salt
3cupsgrated carrots
1 ½ cupstoasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1cupshredded toasted coconut
1cupraisins
1 ½ cupsgranulated sugar
1cupcooking oil
4largeeggs
Cream Cheese Icing
8ouncescream cheese, at room temperature
½ cupbutter, at room temperature
3cupspowdered sugar
2teaspoonsvanilla
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.
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
This moist carrot cake recipe was adapted from this carrot cake by Brown Eyed Baker.