A classic combo that always hits the spot, we love our carrot cake loaf with cream cheese frosting for its simplicity and amazing texture.
Ingredients
CARROT CAKE
2eggs, room temperature
¾cupsugar
¾cupbrown sugar
½cupfull fat sour cream
⅓cupcanola or vegetable oil
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1¼cupall purpose flour
1teaspoonbaking soda
1teaspoonbaking powder
1teaspooncinnamon
½teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonginger
8oz.freshly grated carrots*
FROSTING
4oz.cream cheese, slightly softened but still cold
2Tablespoonsunsalted butter, slightly softened but still cold
1¼cupspowdered sugar
½teaspoonvanilla extract
pinch of kosher salt or sea salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375° F and spray the bottom and sides of a standard 9 x 5” loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Add the sour cream, oil, vanilla, and mix again until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and ginger all at once, and mix into wet ingredients until just combined- do not over mix. Fold in the carrots.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. Allow the cake to cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the sides to release the cake and invert onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.
While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium high speed until smooth. Add 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons of the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt to the cream cheese and mix first on low, then medium high speed until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar if needed, one or two tablespoons at a time if needed. If frosting is too thick, add 1 Tablespoon of milk or heavy cream to loosen.
Spread frosting on the top surface of the cake loaf. Store in the refrigerator and remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
*Two large carrots that are peeled and then grated (use a standard cheese grater) yield the perfect amount of carrots for this recipe. Resist the temptation to use matchstick or pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store, which are significantly less moist than freshly grated carrots.