My Best Carrot Cake

I was tasked to bake a carrot cake for a wedding. After three failed test cakes and mounting self-loathing, I discovered that most internet-searched carrot cakes are greasy af and insultingly sweet.

Replacing half the oil with carrot baby food was not a health move. It’s just better this way. Additionally, drastically cutting the sugar allows the other flavors come through. After many attempts, here are the keys to my best carrot cake:

Use pureed carrot baby food
Macerate carrots in sugar
Finely chop raisins
Toast walnuts
Process carrots in food processor instead of grating

Carrot Cake Recipe Success Guide:

Don’t over-process carrots. Your goal is apple seed-sized chunks, not carrot puree. If you don’t own a food processor, you can definitely grate the carrots on the large holes of a box grater.

Finely chop the raisins for people that don’t enjoy biting into whole raisins (everyone) but enjoy the flavor (also everyone). Golden raisins are much better than brown, don’t use brown.

Do not decorate this carrot cake like I did. It takes way too long.

Meal Ideas:

Carrot Cake + Rum Raisin Ice Cream
Carrot Cake + Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (not French vanilla, ew)
Carrot Cake + Cold Whole Milk
Carrot Cake + Coffee
Carrot Cake + Whiskey/ Bourbon

Carrot Cake Ingredients

DRY

2 cups (260g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

WET

16 oz carrots, peeled and grated (ends up with ~14oz)
1 cup (205g) packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt or 1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup carrot puree baby food or apple sauce
1/3 cup golden raisins, finely chopped
1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped and toasted.

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

FROSTING – Full Instructions Here

8 oz package cream cheese, room temperature*
1.5 cups cold heavy whipping cream
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2-2/3 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)

*if you forgot to take your cream cheese out hours before, cut into six pieces, and microwave for 10 second increments until softened

Carrot Cake Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F and line baking pans with parchment paper. Trace parchment with pans on top to make cutting easier. Use two 9” inch for a larger cake with four thin layers.
Peel and finely process carrots in food processor until you have apple seed-sized pieces, or grate using large holes on a box grater.
Macerate grated carrots in sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs, vegetable oil, and carrot baby food.
Chopped raisins. Add to bowl with carrots
Chop and toast walnuts. add to bowl with carrots
Whisk together all dry ingredients.
Pour wet into dry, and fold together until just combined.
Pour batter evenly into prepared baking pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. ~25 minutes for a 9” pan. ~16 minutes for cupcakes.
Let cool completely. You can flip them onto a wire rack to speed this up.
Meanwhile, make frosting. In a medium bowl using a hand mixer, beat sugar, softened cream cheese, vanilla, and salt together until smooth. In a separate large bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold cream cheese into whipped cream with a rubber spatula.
Cut each cooled cake layer in half, resulting in four thin layers.
Assemble cake by layering cake rounds and frosting. Spread frosting over the top and sides. An offset spatula is the best tool for this, but a butter knife works as well.
Decorate with live flowers, a sprinkled rim of crushed walnuts, or let the internet inspire you.