Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake is a classic to which every generation should be introduced. They’re sure to enjoy sliding their forks into the sweet and moist spice cake with a hint of carrot flavor that adds to the sweetness and gives it its name. Better yet, their taste buds will cheer as they taste the thick and sugary cream cheese frosting sprinkled with salty chopped walnuts. Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake brings everyone together to agree that when it comes to dessert, old-timey is always better!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup canola oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
- 2-3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 ground nutmeg
- 2 cups carrots, grated
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk, 2%
- 1 cup walnuts, optional, chopped
- orange food coloring, to taste
- green food coloring, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
Step 3 –In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, and canola oil.
Step 4 –In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
Step 5 –Beat the flour mixture into the egg mixture.
Step 6 –Stir the carrots into the batter.
Step 7 –Pour the batter evenly between the two prepared baking pans.
Step 8 –Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes.
Step 9 –Cool for 10 minutes before removing the cakes from the pans to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 10 –While the cakes cool, in another large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese until it is light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 11 –Beat the vanilla into the cream cheese mixture.
Step 12 –Gradually beat the confectioners’ sugar into the cream cheese mixture.
Step 13 –Add enough of the milk to achieve the desired consistency.
Step 14 –Reserve 1/2 cup of the frosting for decorating, if desired.
Step 15 –Stir the walnuts into the remaining frosting.
Step 16 –Place one of the cakes onto a cake stand and spread with the frosting, covering the sides and the top.
Step 17 –Place the second cake on top of the first cake and repeat with the frosting.
Step 18 –If decorating the cake, use the orange food coloring and the green food coloring to tint 1/4 cup of the reserved frosting orange and 1/4 cup green.
Step 19 –Cut a small hole in the corner of two pastry or resealable plastic bags; insert a #7 round pastry tip into each bag.
Step 20 –Fill one of the bags with the orange frosting and the other with the green frosting.
Step 21 –Decorate the cakes with carrot designs or as you see fit.
Step 22 –Serve and store in the refrigerator.