Carrot Cake with Chai-Flavored Cream Cheese Frosting

by

Description

The best carrot cake!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
  • ¾ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 cups grated carrots
  • 1 cup raisins
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons toasted chopped pecans

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
  2. Whisk flour
  3. cinnamon
  4. baking soda
  5. nutmeg
  6. allspice
  7. and salt together in a medium bowl.
  8. Whisk brown sugar
  9. oil
  10. applesauce
  11. and white sugar together in a separate bowl. Whisk in eggs
  12. one at a time
  13. until combined. Switch to a large rubber spatula and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add dry ingredients in 3 parts
  14. gently stirring until incorporated and batter is smooth. Stir in carrots and raisins. Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
  15. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean
  16. 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans for 15 minutes before turning out onto cooling racks to cool completely
  17. about 30 minutes. If you find that a cake layer is stuck to the bottom of the pan
  18. leave the cake pan upside down and allow gravity to do its thing.
  19. While the cake is cooling
  20. prepare the frosting. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook
  21. stirring occasionally until lightly browned
  22. about 10 minutes.
  23. Transfer browned butter to a bowl. Add cream cheese and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in cinnamon
  24. cardamom
  25. ginger
  26. nutmeg
  27. and allspice. Add powdered sugar
  28. 1 cup at a time until desired taste and consistency.
  29. Frost cooled cake with cream cheese frosting and toasted pecans.

Prep Time: 45 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 2 hrs

Servings: 20

Leave a Comment