I post a picture of this last week on my Instagram and I had a bunch of you say you were interested in the recipe! No, it’s not healthy and filled with protein powder and stevia, but I will guarantee you it is the tastiest and easiest carrot cake EVER! And, cream cheese icing never hurts!
After making this cake, I think CARROT CAKE might be my new favorite cake!
I didn’t even know I liked carrot cake until about a month ago. I was given the recipe by my grandfather, who had it from a family recipe given to him. He knew that I was a mediocre baker ;), so he asked me to make it for him.
While I was staying with he and my grandma in Florida during Christmas break, I think I made this carrot cake recipe 3-4 times. That’s a lot of carrot cake to consume, but we managed it alright!
One of the keys to making this cake super moist, which is honestly the best part about it, is the combination of oil and yogurt. What? Yogurt sounds weird but trust me it really enhance the flavor and texture of the cake.
Cream cheese icing
No carrot cake is complete without a proper cream cheese icing. This one is super simple, creamy, and delicious. I could seriously eat the icing out of the bowl by itself. And, I actually may have a few times! It is that good.
Anyway, on to the recipe. Let me know what you guys think of it! I am sure you will love it as much as my family and I do!
Lastly, a drizzle of PB and some walnuts
To finish the cake off, because peanut butter is my obsession, I drizzle it with a little bit of peanut butter. Since the cake is already so calorically dense, I drizzled it with PB Fit, which is basically peanut butter powder without the fat. You mix it with water and it makes the peanut butter consistency and flavor, but with about 1/3 the calories and more protein than regular peanut butter.
PrintBEST Carrot Cake Ever w/ Cream Cheese Icing
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 16 slices 1x
Description
The most moist, easy, and delicious carrot cake you will ever have. Finished off with a cream cheese icing for the perfect combination of carrot cake and icing!
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. all spice
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 whole eggs
1 cup oil (canola or vegetable)
1/2 cup full fat Greek yogurt
1 package (16oz) brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups (450g) grated carrots
1 cup golden raisins, soaked (see notes)*
1 cup chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Icing
1 brick (227g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 stick (113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3 cups (360g) confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Add flour, salt, baking soda, all spice, and cinnamon to a large bowl. Mix.
- Add eggs, oil, Greek yogurt, brown sugar, and vanilla extract to a separate bowl. Whisk until smooth and combined.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients and gently stir together until a smooth batter is formed. Be careful not to over mix.
- Add raisins, carrots, and chopped walnuts. Gently fold into the batter.
- Oil/butter a 15″ x 10″ glass baking dish. You can also line with parchment which will ensure the cake does not stick.
- Pour batter into pan. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Once baked, let completely cool at room temperature.
- For cream cheese icing, add softened cream cheese, softened butter, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Whisk vigorously until smooth and incorporated. Can also use a stand mixer to beat together.
- Add powdered sugar and pinch of salt. Mix again until thoroughly combined and a thick, smooth, creamy icing is formed.
- Top cooled cake with cream cheese icing and enjoy!
Notes
*I soak the raisins overnight in water. This makes them more plump and juicy which really adds a nice element to the cake. This step can be skipped, but I highly recommend it.
- Category: dessert
- Method: baking
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (with icing)
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 58
- Fat: 26
- Carbohydrates: 73
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 7
Keywords: best carrot cake with cream cheese icing