Carrot Cake Layered Cream (Printable)
Moist spiced carrot cake with rich, tangy cream cheese frosting and nutty layers, ideal for celebrations.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
→ Wet Ingredients
09 - 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
10 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
11 - 1 cup vegetable oil
12 - 4 large eggs
13 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
→ Cake Add-ins
14 - 3 cups finely grated carrots
15 - 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
16 - 3/4 cup well-drained crushed pineapple
17 - 1/2 cup raisins
→ Cream Cheese Frosting
18 - 16 oz cream cheese, softened
19 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
20 - 4 cups sifted powdered sugar
21 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
22 - Pinch of salt
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves in a medium bowl until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil until combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
04 - Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain tender texture.
05 - Gently fold in grated carrots, nuts, drained pineapple, and raisins until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
06 - Divide batter evenly among prepared pans, smoothing tops. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
07 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
08 - Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, beating until light and creamy.
09 - Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread generous frosting layer on top. Repeat with second and third layers, then frost sides and top of cake.
10 - Refrigerate assembled cake for 30 minutes before slicing for clean, neat layers. Decorate with extra nuts or carrot curls if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The three layer presentation looks impressive but comes together faster than you would expect
- The combination of warm spices and tangy frosting hits every perfect flavor note
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients are not optional here, cold cream cheese will leave you with a lumpy frustrating frosting situation
- Let the cake layers cool completely before frosting or the frosting will melt right off and slide down the sides
03 -
- Grate your carrots using the fine side of the box grater, large shreds create weird tunnels in the baked cake
- Squeeze the crushed pineapple in a clean dish towel or paper towels to remove excess juice before adding it to the batter