Best Ever Carrot Cake
Simple, moist, and delicious. This Best Ever Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing packs a flavor punch with the comforting flavors of cinnamon and spice. It’s bursting with carrots and coconut, and piled high with frosting. Your spring table won’t be complete without it.
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Let’s talk carrot cake. You either love it or you don’t.
I’m of the “love it” camp, which means more carrot cake for me since my husband doesn’t particularly care for it – especially when I add coconut or nuts.
But that can also be bad news – because that means more carrot cake for me. Short season is just around the corner after all, and it’s probably not a good idea for me to eat an entire 9×13 carrot cake all on my own. So as soon as I photographed this super moist, super divine, simply best ever carrot cake I packaged it up and sent it to work with my husband.
Self-control around baked goods? Not really my strong suit.
Once you try this Best Ever Carrot Cake, you won’t want to use any other recipe.
Well, I suppose you might, but I promise this one will be near the top of your list. Let me tell you why:
- It uses four cups of shredded carrots. That’s right – FOUR CUPS. Make sure to use freshly grated carrots – don’t try to shortcut it and use pre-shredded ones from the market. Those tend to be fairly dry in comparison, and we are drawing from the moisture in those carrots to keep our cake deliciously tender.
- Also? This cake uses one cup of applesauce and just a little (one-third cup) of oil.
- Carrots + applesauce = fruits and veggies = THIS CAKE IS HEALTHY! Not buying it? Yeah, my waist-line isn’t either. Total bummer. Oh, but it’s so worth it. ?
- And…cinnamon cream cheese frosting. So much frosting that you might not use it all. Well, I did, but I’m all about the frosting. Go big or go home.
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 4 cups shredded carrots
- ¾ cup sweetened coconut
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat sugar and eggs until they are pale and thick. Stir in the applesauce and oil, then gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Fold in the shredded carrots and coconut. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove to wire rack and allow cake to cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar one cup at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Spread over cooled cake. Store covered in refrigerator.
10 EASY SLOW COOKER MEALS RECIPE BOOK
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I got a chance to sample this cake and OMG it is too darn good. I highly recommendar trying it. Hard to stop at a sample that is for sure.
Would unsweetened applesauce work for this cake?
Absolutely! I used unsweetened – I’ll have to update my recipe. Thanks for pointing that out!
Thank you for your quick response! ? I can’t wait to try this cake for Easter!