I had a delicious dinner with friends this week. My pal, Jackie hosted and made a delicious and super moist carrot cake. She said that the secret is soaking the grated carrots in brown sugar about an hour before you actually get started on the cake. The frosting was the typical cream cheese frosting you see on carrot cakes. Hers had unique carrot decorations. She is a master cookie maker so she has that artistic flair for garnishes.
She also made cupcakes that were decorated the same. Chock full of walnuts, carrots, and pineapple, this cake was pleasing to the eye as well as in every bite.
Carrot CupCakes 
Carrot Cupcakes
CARROT CAKE
Moist carrot cake that also includes pineapple and nuts with cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
CAKE
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
FROSTING
- 16 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temperature
- 2 sticks butter, room temperature (1 cup)
- pinch salt
- 6 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
CAKE
Combine carrots and brown sugar and let sit for one hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 3 8 -inch cake pans with nonstick spray with flour. (Baker's Joy). Lay parchment paper in the bottom of pans and spray lightly on top.
Beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, oil, and vanilla. Combine well. Stir in pineapple.
flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir well and then mix with wet ingredients.
Add carrots and nuts by folding in the mixture.
Distribute evenly among three pans. Bake 40-45 minutes. Check for doneness with toothpick or skewer.
Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Flip onto a cooling rack and allow to completely cool before frosting.
FROSTING
Cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Sift confectioners sugar and begin adding one cup at a time to creamed mixture going slowly. Add salt and vanilla. Add milk. If the mixture is still too stiff, add another tablespoon at a time until you achieve the consistency.
Carrot Cake is good any time of the year but spring conjures up the notion that Peter Cottontail is seeking out his best carrots. As children, we laid out carrots for the Easter Bunny and he always seemed to enjoy!
“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest Carrot Cake, Zucchini Bread, and Pumpkin Pie.”
-Jim Davis