Carrot Cake Recipe & Cream Cheese Frosting

Cute Cupcakes or Carrot Layer Cake with Fluffy Buttercream Icing

May 11, 2009 Donna Diegel

Ice these cute carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. How to Decorate Layer Cakes & Cupcakes. Photos and directions are included. Great as a carrot wedding cake too!

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting could easily be considered one of the best loved comfort foods, along with NY Style Strawberry Cheesecake, or Red Velvet Cupcakes and Homemade Apple Pie. No matter how it's sliced - carrot layer cake, cute carrot cupcakes or carrot wedding cake - this delicious cake recipe is sure to impress even the most picky carrot cake lover!

Carrot Cake Recipe

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
2 1/3 cups shredded/grated carrots
1 cup walnuts or toasted pecans, chopped fine, optional

How To Make Carrot Cake & Carrot Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 X 2 - inch round cake pans, tapping out excess flour. Likewise, grease and flour one 9 X 13 - inch baking pan, or prepare 24-30 cupcake tins with paper liners. Set aside.
Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt into a medium size bowl and set aside.
With mixer on medium speed, beat canola oil, buttermilk, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add carrots and mix until well blended.
With mixer on low - medium speed, add half the dry ingredients to the batter, mix and scrape as needed. Add remaining dry ingredients. Mix until batter is nice and smooth with no lumps, being careful not to over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, or divide evenly between the cupcake tins.
Bake round cake layers for 35-45 minutes, 9 X 13 - pan for 45-55 minutes, or until a pick comes out clean. Bake cupcakes for approximately 20-30 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched.
Cool 9 X 13 - inch cake and cupcakes completely on wire racks before frosting or freezing. Cool round layers 10 minutes before loosening, then remove them from the pans, and cool completely.
The unfrosted cake, layers and cupcakes can be double wrapped in plastic and frozen for later use.

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
4 Tablespoons butter, softened
4 Tablespoons solid shortening
2 1/2 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 Tablespoon milk, if necessary

How To Make Cream Cheese Frosting

Using a stand mixer, and fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a medium to large bowl and a hand mixer, beat softened cream cheese, butter and shortening together on medium speed until creamy.
Add confectioners' sugar 1/2 cup at a time and beat after each addition, scraping the sides of the bowl when necessary. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
Turn mixer to low, add vanilla and cinnamon and beat again, adding milk only if needed for proper spreading or piping consistency. Cover bowl with damp towel until ready to use.
This recipe can also be changed to buttercream frosting by substituting butter for the cream cheese. Use the same amount of shortening called for.

How To Assemble & Decorate a 9-inch Round Carrot Layer Cake

Smear a bit of cream cheese frosting on a flat, round serving plate. Place one round cake layer on top of the frosting and press lightly. Spread a thick coat of frosting on top and place the second layer on top of the first, pressing down lightly to seal.
Remove approximately 1 cup of frosting and place in a pastry bag fitted with a medium size star tip and set aside.
Frost the sides and top of cake using an off-set spatula, making sure to seal all edges evenly.
Pat chopped walnuts or toasted pecans all around the sides, pressing lightly to adhere. Save a small amount to garnish the top of the cake.
Using the pastry bag, place 12 evenly spaced rosettes on the top of the cake.
Refrigerate any leftovers. Decorated cake and cupcakes can be double wrapped in heavy duty plastic wrap and frozen.

How To Decorate Carrot Cupcakes

Spread the frosting over the tops of the cupcakes as desired, maybe with a slight twist of the wrist to form a swirl. Decorate with edible flowers, or with a basket weave pattern and an icing rose on top!
Or, place the cream cheese frosting in a large pastry bag fitted with a large star or rosette tip.
Starting close to the cupcake, firmly squeeze the bag and frosting through the tip in a round circular motion, finally swirling the frosting into a peak.
Sprinkle tops with walnuts or toasted pecans if desired.
Makes one 9 X 13 - inch cake, one thick 9-inch double layer round cake, or 24 - 30 cupcakes depending on the size.

The recipes for Carrot Cake & Cream Cheese Frosting can be halved to make and decorate one 8 X 8 - inch square cake or 12 cupcakes. Likewise, the recipes can be doubled and tripled for a wedding cake.

The copyright of the article Carrot Cake Recipe & Cream Cheese Frosting in Baking & Desserts is owned by Donna Diegel. Permission to republish Carrot Cake Recipe & Cream Cheese Frosting in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.