Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

This is without a doubt my favourite cake ever! It's super moist and flavourful - and the cream cheese icing is the perfect finishing touch. I've made it time and time again and it never fails to disappoint!


Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated white sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg

4 eggs

1/2 cup water

1 cup vegetable oil

3 cups shredded carrots

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 and 1/2 cups chopped walnuts divided use

Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temperature

1 and 1/4 cup icing sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Grease a bundt cake pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter. You can also make this in other types of cake pans but be sure to adjust the baking time accordingly. This recipe will fill 3 8" round cakes or 1 rectangular cake pan.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, combine the vegetable oil, water, eggs, shredded carrots, and vanilla. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in 1 cup of the chopped walnuts.

Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean with a few crumbs attached. If using round cake pans bake for 20-23 minutes and if using a rectangular pan bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Make sure to cool cake completely before icing.

Icing Directions:

With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and the icing sugar until well combined. Spread evenly over the cooled cake with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup chopped walnuts over the frosting as a garnish. Store the cake in the refrigerator.

*Recipe adapted from Lovin' From the Oven