Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 16 servings.
Ingredients: 4 large Eggland's Best eggs; 2 cups sugar; 1 cup canola oil; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 to 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 3/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 2 cups grated carrots; FROSTING:; 1/2 cup butter, softened; 3 ounces cream cheese, softened; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar; 2 to 3 tablespoons 2% milk; 1 cup chopped walnuts, optional; Orange and green food coloring, optional

A pleasingly moist cake, this treat is the one I requested that my mom make each year for my birthday. It's dotted with sweet carrots and a hint of cinnamon. The fluffy buttery frosting is scrumptious with chopped walnuts stirred in. One piece of this cake is never enough—better than all the other carrot cakes I've tried!—Kim Orr, West Grove, Pennsylvania

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Ingredients

4 large Eggland's Best eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 to 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups grated carrots
FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons 2% milk
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional
Orange and green food coloring, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and oil. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; beat into egg mixture. Stir in carrots.
Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
For frosting, in another large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Add enough milk to achieve desired spreading consistency. Reserve 1/2 cup frosting for decorating if desired. If desired, stir walnuts into remaining frosting.
Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. If decorating the cake, tint 1/4 cup reserved frosting orange and 1/4 cup green. Cut a small hole in the corner of pastry or plastic bag; insert #7 round pastry tip. Fill the bag with orange frosting. Pipe twelve carrots on top of cake, so each slice will have a carrot. Using #67 leaf pastry tip and the green frosting, pipe a leaf at the top of each carrot.
Store cake in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts

1 slice: 531 calories, 28g fat (7g saturated fat), 67mg cholesterol, 203mg sodium, 68g carbohydrate (54g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.

Originally published as Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake in Taste of Home April/May 2001

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Veronica_Davis

Apr 18, 2019

I love this cake and make it all the time. Brought it to work once and the whole thing was gone
Sarah Storr

Apr 8, 2019

I didn't change a thing! This carrot cake is perfection!
Maria

Mar 7, 2019

Best carrot cake I have made. Very moist and delicious! I doubled the amount of frosting and found that to be just about enough.
Deborah

Mar 4, 2019

Needs 1/2-1 cup more grated carrots. Doesn't need pineapple. Yuck! And it needs walnuts in the cake batter.
Tammie

Oct 30, 2018

How can anyone say this was dry. Maybe the size of your grated carrot? Omg so moist. At least mine was. So flavourful. Will definitely be making this again.
Sheila

Oct 18, 2018

This was not the cake I envisioned...I made it without changing a thing. It was dry and was lacking flavor. Will not make again.
Crystal

Jul 1, 2018

BCVigil I actually made cupcakes today. And they were a hit.
BCVigil

Apr 9, 2018

The cake was simple to make and the end result was very moist and tasty. I made a double-layer cake, however, cupcakes would be perfect!!! Does anyone know what the approx. bake time for cupcakes using this recipe would be?
wintermom9597

Apr 2, 2018

Definitely not my most favorite of carrot cakes - too dry for me. And I doubled the frosting amount hoping that would help.
ndnmac

Mar 27, 2018

I make a much moister 3 layer carrot cake that has coconut and pineapple in it. Everyone says it is the most moist and greatest tasting carrot cake they have ever eaten. I am ask to bake them for dog rescue charity sales every year. Some of the charity people order them before the charity even starts to make sure they get them...yes their money goes to the dog !!!!

Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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