Carrots and cake are the perfect combination and will ease your conscience about eating sweets. I mean, carrots are a vegetable and vegetables are good for you, right?!
I am skilled as all get out when it comes to baking and if I wasn’t an author, I’d probably have a coffee shop/ bakery.
Since I am an author though and I produce books so quickly, my baking is saved for my family and friends.
This recipe was concocted by me after combining and tweaking several other recipes and to me… this is the PERFECT cake. The carrots and walnuts give great texture to the moist cake and whipping the icing so it’s, oh so, fluffy… simply perfection.
You could obviously make this into a layered cake, but why would you when sheet cakes are SO easy?!
Without further adieu… here we go.
Ingredients:
3 cups of finely grated carrot
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup of chopped or whole walnuts
splash of almond extract (literally a tiny splash)
DIRECTIONS
Spray or flour a 9 x 13 baking pan and set aside. (I use Baker’s Joy)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl.
In a separate large bowl beat the eggs, oil, and applesauce for 1 minute. Until combined and it starts to fluff up.
Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the vanilla and almond extract and beat until incorporated.
Fold the grated carrots into the egg mixture.
Fold half the flour mixture into the egg mixture until combined.
Fold remaining flour in.
Beat batter for 1 minute. Until your batter is smooth, creamy, and fluffy.
Gently fold in walnuts.
Pour into a prepared 9 x 13 baking pan.
Bake for 25-35 minute or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely and frost with icing below.
Cream Cheese Frosting
16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions:
Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract together until they are fully incorporated. No lumps.
Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Beat until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes.
Frost the entire cake with the whipped icing. If you would like, sprinkle additional chopped walnuts on top.
ENJOY! And prepare to see it vanish!
As always, if you make it and you love it, let me know!
Enjoy the chaos, because everything else is boring!