Earthy, light, fluffy, and packed with fresh shredded carrots and chopped walnuts, this glorious carrot cake with maple cream cheese frosting is the perfect spring or Easter cake.
Carrot cake is synonymous with spring. I don't know if it's the freshly grated carrots, the earthy blend of flours, the cinnamon and nutmeg spices, or the decadent cream cheese frosting, but it's truly a fantastic cake for all things Easter / family gatherings / fun night at home eating cake (I mean, why not? Cake requires not actual holiday to be enjoyed). This carrot cake with maple cream cheese frosting is fluffy, moist, and packed with real ingredients and phenomenal flavors. Let's make it.
What you'll need to make this carrot cake with maple cream cheese frosting:
Salted butter
Granulated sugar
Dark brown sugar (golden or light brown sugar would work too)
Large eggs
Baking powder
Salt
Ground cinnamon
Ground nutmeg
Ground cloves
All purpose flour
Whole wheat flour
Whole milk
Carrots
Walnuts, optional
Cream cheese
Powdered sugar
Pure vanilla extract
Pure maple syrup
The Cake
So what exactly is carrot cake made of, and where did it get it's name? Some speculate that the name carrot cake came from the Middle Ages when sweeteners were in short supply, and carrots were actually used as the sweetening agent to the cake. Today, carrot cake has evolved a bit. We use whole, fresh ingredients in this cake, and plenty of sweet shredded carrots.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two 6” or 8” round pans, or a 9x13 sheet pan by greasing them thoroughly with butter and flouring them well {sprinkle a little flour over them, tilt and shake to distribute evenly, then tap out the excess over the sink}. Alternatively you can spray them with Bakers Joy or Pam baking spray.
Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the softened butter and sugars together until fluffy and light, then add the eggs and beat until fully incorporated. Mix in the flours, salt, baking powder, and spices until not powder remains, about thirty more seconds. Add the milk and beat together on low until incorporated, scraping the sides as you go, until the batter is fully incorporated. Do not over mix. Add the walnuts and shredded carrots and fold in gently with a spatula.
Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops spring back slightly when pressed.Let cool on wire racks for at least 15 minutes, then flip each pan over onto the rack and tap gently all over. Lift the pan slightly. The cake should slide right out. You can freeze the cake rounds for 20-30 minutes or until very cold to make frosting easier.
The Frosting
This glorious frosting is made of five simple ingredients: salted butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, pure vanilla extract, and pure maple syrup. Now if you prefer a tantalizing browned butter frosting instead, you can sub in the buttercream from my Carrot Cake with Browned Butter Frosting instead.
To make this frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese until well incorporated, about 45 seconds. Mix in the powered sugar and the vanilla + maple syrup. You can add the final cup of sugar it you feel that your frosting needs to be thickened {I used all 4 cups}. Spread onto cooled cake. Alternately, you can omit the maple syrup for a more classic cream cheese frosting if you prefer.
The Dietary Substitutions
I love providing gluten and dairy free substitutions so that those with alternate dietary needs can enjoy my recipes to their fullest! These are subs that I have either used and continue to stock in my own home, or that have come highly recommended from others. I want your baking experience to be the best it can be, and avoiding gluten or dairy shouldn’t hinder that process in the slightest.
As always, here is a list of tried and true dietary substitutes, so that you can enjoy this recipe without the additions of gluten or dairy.
Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour is a wonderful all-purpose sub, and it’s cup for cup, so use the same measurements as you would all-purpose flour.
Miyokos butter is a plant based brick that closely resembles dairy butter not only in its look, but it’s taste as well. It melts, browns, and spreads just like real butter, and truly is a fantastic substitute in this recipe. Use it as a 1:1 ratio sub, same as the flour, so the recipe measurements will not change.
Miyokos also makes a wonderful cream cheese that would be an excellent dairy free base in this recipe.
Silk Dairy Free Heavy Cream is a great option for both the cheesecake and the whipped topping.
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XO,
Heather
Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake:
- ½ Cup Salted Butter, softened
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed (light or golden would work too)
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 1 ¼ Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 ¼ Cups Whole Milk
- ⅓ Cup Carrots, shredded
- ½ Cup Walnuts, chopped (optional)
For the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ½ Cup Salted Butter, softened to room temperature
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tablespoon Pure Maple Syrup
Instructions
- For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6 or 8-inch round pans by greasing them thoroughly with butter and flouring them well {sprinkle a little flour over them, tilt and shake to distribute evenly, then tap out the excess over the sink}. Alternatively you can spray them with Bakers Joy and line with parchment rounds.
- Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the softened butter and sugars together until fluffy and light, about thirty seconds. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated, another thirty seconds. Mix in the flours, salt, baking powder, and spices until no powder remains. Finally add the milk. Bear together on low until incorporated, scraping the sides. Fold in the walnuts and shredded carrots gently with a spatula.
- Pour into the prepared pans {1 cup batter per 6” pan, 2 cups per 8” pan}, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops spring back slightly when pressed.Let cool on wire racks for at least 15 minutes, then flip each pan over onto the rack and tap gently all over. Lift the pan slightly. The cake should slide right out. {Freeze for 20 minutes or until solid to make frosting easier}.
- For the frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese until well incorporated, about 45 seconds. Mix in 3 cups of sugar and the vanilla + maple syrup. You can add the final cup of sugar it you feel that your frosting needs to be thickened {I used all 4 cups}. Spread onto cooled cake. Alternately, you can omit the maple syrup for a more classic cream cheese frosting if you prefer.
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