Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

by Jan 29, 2022

This is my favorite carrot cake now, exceptionally moist but way less sweet than typical because the cake is sweetened with maple syrup. Thanks to Kathryne Taylor of the blog, Cookie and Kate, for the fantastic modernization and for not messing with the best part: cream cheese frosting! If you haven’t seen Kate’s book Love Real Food, I highly recommend it. It emphasizes vegetarian main dishes and low sugar treats without going to extremes that foster food fear instead of a love of food and eating.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

makes one 8 or 9-inch square cake.

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup whole wheat flour Conservation Grains' Molly's Wheat or Wheatsome
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp kosher salt or fine sea salt
  • 1 pound freshly grated carrots 3 or 4 good sized carrots grated to equal about 3 cups
  • ½ cup toasted walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt, plain Straus Family Creamery
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • cup melted coconut oil
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
  • 2 tbsp butter at room temperature
  • 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F and spray interior of an 8 x 8-inch (or 9x9) baking pan with baking spray (or grease it with coconut oil or butter).

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the grated carrots and nuts and stir to evenly distribute.

  3. In a 4-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk the eggs into the Greek yogurt then add the coconut oil, syrup, and vanilla. (Good tip from Kate: If the coconut oil solidifies on contact with the cold ingredients, gently warm the mixture in the microwave in 30-second intervals until it melts again, or let the measuring cup/bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes.)

  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour/carrot bowl and stir with a spatula or spoon until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until the center of the cake springs back when lightly touched, about 35 minutes for an 8" square, less for 9" (like 26–28 minutes). Keep the cake in the pan and cool on a rack.

  5. For the frosting:

    Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix on high until smooth and creamy. Use to frost a cool cake.

Recipe Notes / Tips

  • If you want to use whole wheat pastry flour, use 1 ¾ cups in place of the all-purpose and whole wheat.
  • Keep cake refrigerated and enjoy within 5 days.

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