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Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

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. 
Course: Cake, carrot cake, Dessert, easter, spring cake
Cuisine: cake, Dessert, easter
Keyword: cake, carrot cake, easter, maple cream cheese frosting, spring, spring cake
Servings: 8

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.

Notes

See blog for dietary options in leu of gluten and dairy.