Chocolate Carrot Cake

Who says you can’t have your carrot cake and eat your chocolate too? My husband is predictable: Every year for his birthday, he will request one of two cakes to celebrate—chocolate or carrot. This year, he surprised me and asked if he could have both. Luckily, this chocolate carrot cake recipe saved the day.

Just like old-fashioned carrot cake, this recipe is loaded with finely shredded carrots, which add moisture and texture, and a traditional cream cheese frosting offers plenty of tang. Where this recipe deviates is the addition of heavenly cocoa powder to both the cake batter and the frosting. The result is an ultra-tender, rich and decadent cake that’s truly the best of both worlds.

After just one bite, my husband said I could return his birthday gift because this chocolate carrot cake was all he needed. Who knew that carrots are the secret to the best-ever chocolate cake?

Chocolate Carrot Cake Ingredients

• Carrots
• Sugar
• Canola oil
• Eggs
• All-purpose flour
• Baking cocoa
• Baking soda
• Salt

Frosting:

• Softened cream cheese
• Softened butter
• Confectioners’ sugar
• Baking cocoa
• Vanilla extract
• Walnuts
• Semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Step 1: Prep the pans

Line two 9-inch round baking pans with parchment, then grease the paper and set the pans aside.

Step 2: Mix the ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat the carrots, sugar, oil and room-temperature eggs until everything is well blended. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients

Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the carrot mixture until blended.

Step 4: Bake the cake

Divide the cake batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing them to wire racks to cool completely.

Step 5: Make the frosting

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla until smooth.

Step 6: Frost and decorate the cake

Place the bottom cake layer onto a serving plate. Top it with half the frosting, then repeat with the remaining layer. Sprinkle the cake with nuts and chocolate chips.

How to Store Chocolate Carrot Cake

Like any cake with cream cheese frosting, this chocolate carrot cake should be kept refrigerated when it’s not being served. Store it in a covered cake carrier or wrap it with storage wrap to preserve freshness. The cake is best enjoyed within three or four days.

If you like, you can freeze the cake too. First refrigerate it until the frosting is firm, then wrap the cake tightly in a layer of storage wrap and a layer of heavy-duty foil before freezing it for up to three months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

When serving a carrot and chocolate cake that has been refrigerated, we recommend removing the cake from the refrigerator and letting it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Carrot Cake Tips

What is the best way to shred carrots for carrot cake?

As for how to shred carrots, there are a few tried-and-true methods. Our favorite techniques include using a box grater, a food processor with a grating attachment or a mandoline slicer. For this chocolate carrot cake recipe, we find that finely shredded carrots yield the best texture, so choose a tool from your kitchen that will give you the finest shreds possible.

Does this carrot and chocolate cake taste like carrots?

No. Carrot cake doesn’t actually taste like carrots. Just as with the kraut in this chocolate sauerkraut cake, the carrots don’t flavor the cake; rather, they add tons of moisture and a pleasing texture. This chocolate zucchini cake is another example of how shredded veggies can be used to enhance cake.

Is this chocolate carrot cake recipe healthy?

Unfortunately, not really. Though this chocolate and carrot cake recipe contains veggies, it’s not a health food. That said, there are ways you can cut the fat, sugar and/or calories to make this a healthier cake recipe. First, you might substitute an equal amount of applesauce or mashed banana for the canola oil. You could also swap in a reduced-fat cream cheese (e.g., Neufchâtel cheese) for the regular cream cheese in the frosting. Cutting or modifying sugar can be a bit trickier, since the sugar not only makes the cake sweet but impacts its rise, color and texture too. If you’re up for experimenting, substitute 1-1/2 cups of honey or maple syrup for the sugar in the cake batter.