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Best Carrot Cake Ever

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This Best Carrot Cake Ever is rich, moist, and packed with warm spices, sweet carrots, and crunchy walnuts. The addition of pineapple enhances its tenderness, while a velvety cream cheese frosting adds the perfect finishing touch. Whether for birthdays, holidays, or just because, this classic carrot cake is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 6 cups grated carrots
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups white sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 cup walnuts

For the Cream Cheese Frosting (Optional):

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Prepare the Carrots:

  1. In a bowl, mix grated carrots with brown sugar and let sit for 1 hour. Stir in the raisins.

Preheat the Oven:

  1. Set oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease two 10-inch round cake pans.

Mix the Wet Ingredients:

  1. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, white sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and drained pineapple.

Combine Dry Ingredients:

  1. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Gradually add to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Add Carrots and Nuts:

  1. Fold in the carrot mixture and walnuts until evenly distributed.

Bake the Cake:

  1. Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans.
  2. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the Cake:

  1. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare the Frosting (Optional):

  1. Beat softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
  2. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until fluffy.
  3. Stir in vanilla extract.

Assemble the Cake:

  1. Frost the cooled cake and garnish with extra walnuts, if desired.

Notes

  • For extra moisture, add ½ cup more crushed pineapple or a splash of buttermilk.
  • For a nut-free version, omit the walnuts.
  • To enhance spice flavor, add nutmeg, allspice, or ginger.
  • For a healthier version, substitute half the flour with whole wheat flour and reduce the sugar slightly.
  • Make cupcakes by pouring batter into cupcake liners and baking for 20-25 minutes.

Find it online: https://thefamilycooking.com/best-carrot-cake-ever/