Carrot Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting …the perfect dessert to make for Easter Sunday or any celebration!

This carrot cake is super moist and the pineapple adds the perfect sweetness. It is such a delicious treat! This carrot cake comes together so easily and is perfect for a small dinner party. I also love that you just need two bowls (could even get away with one) and a wooden spoon. No mixer required.

That caramel frosting is to die for. I could have (okay maybe I did…shhh) just eaten it by the spoon. There will most likely be leftover frosting, so feel free to just dive in. Or spread it on graham crackers (or just about anything). That is one of my favorite childhood treats.

I found this recipe in my friends new cookbook Dessert for Two: Sweet and Simple by Christina Lane. This book is perfect for when I’m craving something sweet but don’t want a whole lot of leftovers to tempt me. I was debating between posting this recipe and the Hazelnut cookies (which were super easy and yummy), but I knew this one would be perfect for Easter.

Christina says “the best type of carrots to use for this cake are freshly grated ones. The carrots sold pre-grated will be too big. To hand-grate the carrots , use the large holes on your box grater”  and I couldn’t agree more! It takes a little extra work, but if you have a food processor that makes it much faster.

How to make the Carrot Cake:

First you’ll need the below ingredients. Find the printable recipe below.

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup freshly grated carrots
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper. Lightly spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir the oil and sugar together with a wooden spoon (do not use a mixer). Then stir in the eggs, carrots, pineapple and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the dry ingredients of the wet ingredients and stir, just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 33 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes clean. Let the cake cool completely.

Then comes the caramel frosting -yum! Seriously, can I just dive right in?

If you want extra caramel, feel free to add a few dollops and swirl it around on top with a butter knife. 

Print

Carrot Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield: 9-18 servings

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup freshly grated carrots
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup dulce de leche (or melted caramels)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper. Lightly spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir the oil and sugar together with a wooden spoon (do not use a mixer). Then stir in the eggs, carrots, pineapple and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the dry ingredients of the wet ingredients and stir, just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 33 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes clean. Let the cake cool completely.

While the cake cools, whip together the cream cheese and dulce de leche (reserve 1/4 cup if you'd like to do a swirl on the top). Slowly mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth.

Frost the cake with the caramel cream cheese frosting. For the caramel swirl, place 9 dots on the top of the cake. Then swirl with a knife. Cover cake until until ready to serve.  Cut into squares and enjoy!

For a more traditional cream cheese frosting, simply leave out the caramel. Add a pinch of salt if desired.

Slightly adapted from Dessert for Two: Sweet and Simple

Cut in and enjoy! YUM!

Enjoy!