Blue Ribbon Carrot Cake
A moist, award-winning carrot cake layered with tangy cream cheese frosting. Perfect for contests, holidays, or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
2½ cups all-purpose or cake flour
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves (optional)
½ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1½ cups sugar (half white, half brown)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups freshly grated carrots
Optional Add-ins:
½ cup crushed pineapple (drained)
½ cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
⅓ cup shredded coconut
½ cup golden raisins or sultanas
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 cup full-fat cream cheese, softened
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2½–3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest or juice (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line 2 or 3 round cake pans with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
In another bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until light and frothy. Add oil and vanilla; mix well.
Fold in grated carrots and any optional add-ins like pineapple, nuts, or coconut.
Combine wet and dry mixtures just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
Divide batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting by beating cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar gradually, then vanilla and lemon zest.
Frost the cooled cakes, layer by layer. Decorate with toasted nuts or carrot curls if desired.
Notes
- For extra flavor, toast the nuts before folding them into the batter.
- You can make the cake a day ahead and refrigerate overnight for better flavor.
- Chill cake layers before frosting for easier assembly.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.