Carrot cake frosted with maple cream cheese is the finest carrot cake recipe I’ve ever tried, complete with pineapples and spices. The cake is moist and crumbly, with a delectable frosting.
Carrots are one of my favorite root veggies. I adore carrots in soups and beverages (carrot juice), therefore it’s unsurprising that I love carrot cake as well.
While the addition of carrots to a cake may seem strange, carrot cake is quite wonderful!
This recipe for carrot cake comes from Life is Great. The cake is frosted with a luscious maple cream cheese icing that is creamy and indulgent.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 cup sugar, granulated
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup rapeseed oil
- 18 ounces (510 g) pineapple slices in a can
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 eggs, big, at room temperature
- 3 cups (650 g) peeled and grated carrots, approximately 5-6 large carrots
- 2 inches grated fresh old ginger
- 1 cup walnuts, if desired
- 1/2 cup raisins, if desired
CHEESE WITH MAPLE CREAM FROSTING
- 2 packages (226 g) softened cream cheese
- 1 unsalted butter stick (113 g), room temperature
- 2 cups (230 g) sifted powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1/4 cup unsweetened maple syrup
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven (I suggest 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 180 degrees Celsius/gas mark 4).
- Cupcakes
- Use cupcake liners to line 24 cupcake molds (2 12-standard muffin pans) or grease and flour them.
- For cakes with several layers: Butter two 9-inch round cake pans or three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of pans with parchment, butter, and flour paper; tap excess flour from the pans.
- If using walnuts, gently toast them for about 4-5 minutes on a baking tray or in a frying pan. Allow cooling somewhat before finely processing them.
- Meanwhile, mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger in a larger bowl. Place aside. In a blender, combine the pineapple slices and a portion of the liquids from the can. Eliminate any surplus liquid. Puree it (use a food processor if you have it) until smooth and leave aside.
- In a second large mixing bowl, stir together sugars, pineapple puree, and oil until thoroughly combined. Add eggs (preferably one at a time), whisking constantly. Then stir in the flour mixture until well combined. Combine the vanilla, carrots, and fresh ginger in a medium bowl. If using walnuts and raisins, include them now.
- Divide batter evenly among cupcake molds, filling each 3/4 full. Cupcakes are baked for 14–18 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow around 5 minutes for cooling in the pans—transfer cakes to a cooling rack to cool completely. Allow them to cool fully before frosting.
- For cakes with several layers: Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared pans and bake for approximately 30 minutes for 8-inch cakes and roughly 40 minutes for 9-inch cakes (or you can try and observe a tester inserted in the middle of it comes out clean). Allow about 15 minutes for the cake to cool completely in the pan. Exit onto a cooling rack. Remove parchment paper; allow the cake to cool completely before icing.
Frosting using Maple Cream Cheese:
- At a medium speed, beat all of the ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until fluffy. Refrigerate the frosting for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, or until it has firmed up sufficiently to spread smoothly and retain its shape.
- For the cupcakes: choose your preferred tip of the piping bag and fill it with the maple cream cheese frosting and pipe over cooled cupcakes as desired.
- For cakes with several layers: To build a tiered cake, frost the top of one cake and arrange the other on top using an offset spatula. Continue until you have a three-layered cake. Use a thin layer of frosting to frost the side and top of the cake. Refrigerate for approximately 30-45 minutes. Frost the cake completely to cover it and decorate the top with swirls. Refrigerate the cake until the icing has been set. Allow coming to room temperature before slicing.