Ginger Carrot Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
This is the kind of dessert that's so good it will get you into trouble. At least there are technically vegetables in it.
Ingredients
Ginger Carrot Cake
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 1/4 cup Vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 1 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- 1 tbs grated ginger (Or 1 tsp ground ginger)
- 2 tbs orange zest (About 1 orange's worth)
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- 8 tbs butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 cup Confectioners' sugar (More may be needed)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Ginger Carrot Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and prepare two 9-inch baking sheets by lightly greasing and dusting with flour.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.
- In a separate, larger bowl, whisk together sugar and oil. Once blended, whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour mixture, then stir until blended. Fold in carrots, walnuts, ginger, and orange zest.
- Divide batter between prepared baking pans. Bake until they pass the toothpick test, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto racks to let cool completely.
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- Combine all icing ingredients in a large bowl. Beat on low at first, then increase to medium-high as you're able. Continue beating for about 2 minutes, until the texture is smooth and creamy. If the frosting isn't quite setting, add a bit more powdered sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time.
- Once the cake has completely cooled, spread a layer of icing on top of one cake. Place the other cake on top of that, then spread the rest out along the top and down the sides, if desired.
- Garnish with walnut pieces and a sprinkling of nutmeg or cake crumbs, and enjoy!
