My favorite cake in the entire world is chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream. Oh and I do love to chow down on red velvet cake. But if there’s carrot cake with tons of cream cheese frosting on top. (I hope no one notices) There is just no way I’m passing up carrot cake, ever. Unless maybe if there’s no frosting, that would be wrong. Something about carrot cake just makes me super excited and honestly I don’t think it’s the carrots. Perhaps it’s the spiced moist cake or the thick layer of creamy cream cheese frosting. Ok it’s obviously the frosting because cake is all about the frosting, always. Well in this case, orange cream cheese frosting.
First grate the carrots. I use a food processor fitted with the shredding disc blade because I always seem to grate my knuckles. How lovely huh?
Take n 8 ounce can of crushed pineapple and drain it really well. I put it in a strainer and press out the liquid. Measure out 2/3 cup of dried cranberries and 1/2 cup of chopped unsalted walnuts.
Toss the dried cranberries with 1 Tablespoon of all purpose flour. This will make it so the dried cranberries don’t sink to the bottom of the cake.
Oooh cranberries with flour.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together 2 cups sugar, 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup canola oil, 3 large eggs (at room temperature) and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract on medium speed until the ingredients are completely combined.
Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.
Take a spatula (I sadly don’t have an orange one) and fold the ingredients together. But at least it matches the cranberries right? I’m so cheesy.
Throw in the grated carrots, crushed pineapple, walnuts and dried cranberries. I get way too excited about all of the different colors in the mixing bowl….
Fold everything together with a spatula!
I want to eat this. Really carrot cake batter is quite delicious. It’s possibly my favorite cake batter ever. Actually I do really like Funfetti and Chocolate and Red Velvet and ever cake batter in the universe
Pour the cake batter into a lightly greased 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Spread the batter out and take a nap on it. Well I’d take a nap on top of the cake batter if it was possible. Bake the cake at 350 degrees F for 25-28 minutes.
Once the cake is done baking, cool the cake completely on a cooling rack.
While the cake is cooling, begin making the orange cream cheese frosting.
Sift three cups of powdered sugar into a bowl. Photos of sifted ingredients are no fun.
In a bowl of a stand mixer, mix together 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter and 8 ounces of softened cream cheese. Now don’t you try and get all healthy on me and use cream cheese. We have carrots…we’re good.
Once it’s combined, add in 2 teaspoons orange juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon orange zest. Mix mix!
Add in the powdered sugar slowly on low speed. Unless you’re into wearing powdered sugar (and looking like me), I really suggest you do this sllooowwwly. Mix for a minute on medium speed. Frosting is the best food in the world. Mmmm frosting.
Plop the frosting onto the cooled cake. Yes I said plop. Spread it out with a knife.
Then if you want to be all festive, sprinkle chopped walnuts on top. I’m into being festive.
Cut into pieces and enjoy!
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups sugar
1 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups shredded carrots
1 can of crushed pineapple, drained well
2/3 cup dried cranberries – tossed with 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted walnuts, chopped
3 cups powdered sugar
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange zest
Chopped unsalted walnuts, for topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.
Grate 2 cups of carrots. (I typically use a food processor with the shredding disc blade but you can do this by hand)
Drain the crushed pineapple really well. (I put the pineapple in a strainer and press the juice out with my hands.)
Toss the cranberries with 1 Tablespoon of flour.
And measure out the chopped walnuts.
Set the shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, cranberries and walnuts aside.
In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar, buttermilk, canola oil, eggs and vanilla extract on medium speed until completely combined.
Add in the dry ingredients on low speed slowly. Mix until just combined.
Take a spatula and fold the ingredients together.
Add in the shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, cranberries and walnuts. Fold them in.
Pour the cake batter into a lightly greased 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Spread the batter out evenly.
Bake the cake at 350 degrees F for 25-28 minutes.
Cool the cake completely on a cooling rack. While the cake is cooling, make the orange cream cheese frosting.
Sift three cups powdered sugar into a bowl and set aside.
In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth for about 2 minutes. Do not over mix.
Add in the orange juice, vanilla extract and orange zest. Mix.
Slowly add in the powdered sugar on low speed until combined. Mix for about two minutes on medium speed.
Spread the frosting onto the cooled cake. If you like, top the cake with chopped walnuts.
Cut into pieces, serve and enjoy!
