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Carol's Carrot Cake

A moist, spicy carrot and nut cake.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon EACH ground cloves, ground ginger, ground nutmeg

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1¼ cups packed light or dark brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Everything Else

  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 can 20-oz can crushed pineapple in juice not syrup, drained to yield about 1 cup of fruit; keep the juice, see notes
  • 1.5 cups chopped pecans Carol used walnuts; see notes
  • ¾ cup golden raisins optional; Carol would like it noted that these are my idea

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese, softened 1 brick
  • ½ cup butter, room temperature 1 stick
  • 3 cups powdered sugar plus more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Carrot Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 360°F. Butter or grease your pan.
  • Sift the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
    2½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon EACH ground cloves, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • Whisk the wet ingredients together in a smaller bowl.
    1 cup vegetable oil, 1¼ cups packed light or dark brown sugar, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 4 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Fold the wet into the dry. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to catch the pockets of flour hiding down there. Do not overmix.
  • Fold in the carrots, pineapple, pecans and raisins.
    2 cups shredded carrots, 1 can 20-oz can crushed pineapple in juice, 1.5 cups chopped pecans, ¾ cup golden raisins
  • Pour into the pan. The batter should be thick and spreadable, not pourable. (If it sloshes, something has gone wrong. Ask me how I know.)
  • Bake 55 to 70 minutes, testing from about 45 to 50 minutes. It's done when a toothpick comes out of the middle clean.
  • Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Mix ingredients with a hand mixer until well combined and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar as needed
    8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese, softened, 1/2 cup butter, room temperature, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ⅛ teaspoon salt