Perfectly Spiced Carrot Cake

Yes, carrot cake is a bit controversial. She’s not as loved as her other birthday cake counterparts and that’s okay! If you’re like me, you’d agree that Carrot Cake is the best cake of ALL TIME. Seriously. Every birthday ends, or starts, with at least ~one~ slice of carrot cake.

Last Christmas, I was gifted a cookbook that highlighted the houses of astrology and their food profiles. Being a Virgo (obsessively), I flipped to the Virgo section and stumbled across a recipe for a Carrot Torte. The recipe explained that this was the perfect sweet treat for Virgoans, who happen to be the house of service and health. I resonated with it immensely.

Crafting a carrot cake takes work and patience (shredding whole carrots is a tedious task). But, in the end, you’re left with a masterpiece. One that brings together loved one’s over a slice that is perfectly moist, rich in flavor, and just sweet enough for you to grab another slice.

I hope you enjoy this cake as much as my loved one’s and I did.

Spiced Carrot Cake

INGREDIENTS

{Dry Ingredients}

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar

• 1/3 cups brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoons sea salt

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon allspice

{Wet Ingredients}

• 1 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I prefer Oat Milk)

• 2/3 cup olive oil (adds a beautiful richness to the cake, you can substitute with vegetable or canola oil)

• 5 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 cups grated carrots

{Optional Mix-in’s}

• 3/4 cup raisins

• 3/4 cup walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350F

2. Mix together all the dry ingredients

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients (except the carrots, raisins, and walnuts)

4. Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet with a spatula, until just combined

5. Fold in the carrots, raisins, and walnuts until combined

6. Line (2) greased 8” cake pans with parchment paper

7. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a clean toothpick comes out when inserted in the center

8. Let cool for 2-3 hours before frosting (I prefer refrigerating the cakes overnight)

9. Frost with almond cream cheese frosting (recipe in notes below)

10. Garnish with toasted walnuts.

11. Slice, serve, & dive in!

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{NOTES}

Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (12oz) cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup (8oz) butter, softened

• 2-3 cups confectioners’ sugar

• 1 tsp almond extract

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, using a hand-held or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy

   1. Tip: Chill the bowl being used prior to making the batter

2. Add confectioners’ sugar, 1 cup at a time. Beat on low until combined, then switch to a higher speed, each time.

3. Add almond extract and sea salt, beat until combined

4. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before frosting.