Carrot Cake with Lemon Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

We have a running inside joke in my family that the more lopsided, wonky and funky looking cake I make, the better its probably going to taste. I’m a bit infamous for making delicious but homely looking cakes for birthday celebrations, holidays and get togethers.

One of my all-time favorite cakes to make is a carrot cake. And I might ruffle some feather with this; but I like a carrot cake with all the extra goodies such as coconut flakes, pineapple, raisins and even pecans or walnuts.

For some reason, spring always seems like the perfect time to make a carrot cake and I usually make at least one every spring for Easter or Mother’s Day. Sometimes I make a round layered cake and other times a sheet cake (much easier to frost and decorate, although maybe not as exciting of a presentation). This year, I used one large square cake pan and turned it into a simple layer cake.

To me a carrot cake has to be moist from lots of shredded carrots and sweet from a little pineapple and coconut. I want a hint of cinnamon along with just a touch of ginger to really amplify the flavors. Years ago, I started adding a bit of lemon zest to my cream cheese frosting anytime I made carrot cake and nothing made me happier than when I had dinner at Crafted, in downtown Yakima, a few weeks ago and their featured dessert was a carrot cake with lemon cream cheese frosting. I’ve never felt more validated in my flavor combination.

All that to say, if you want to try your hand at a yummy dessert this Easter weekend, make this simple but insanely delicious carrot cake. If your layers are a little lopsided or it doesn’t come out looking straight from the pages of a magazine, don’t think twice about it, it probably means its going to taste better than you imagined.

If you don’t have a large square baking pan like the recipe calls for, feel free to use two 9-inch round cake pans or one 9x13 rectangle baking dish. The baking time will be slightly less for the different pans, so keep an eye on the oven and test with a toothpick often. I skipped the nuts for this recipe, because my family vetoed them but if you would like to add chopped walnuts or pecans to this recipe, use 1/2 cup so your raisin to walnut ratio is even. I skipped the icing along the outside of the cake because I like how it looks without it but this recipe makes more than enough frosting to frost the outside if you prefer. Enjoy and happy Easter!

Carrot Cake with Lemon Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

• 3 cups shredded carrots

• 8 ounces drained crushed pineapple

• 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

• 1/2 cup golden raisins

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 4 large eggs, room temperature

• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Lemon Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 cup softened salted butter

• 4 ounces softened cream cheese

• 5 cups powdered sugar

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder (extract just fine too)

• Juice of half a lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11x11 square pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the sugar and eggs, whisking to combine. Drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl, stirring to combine. Add the grated carrots, coconut, raisins and vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and use a spatula to gently combine the two until a batter forms.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes. If the top of the cake begins to brown too deeply before the cake is finished baking, lightly cover the cake with a piece of tin foil. When a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 15 minutes in the pan before turning it over to a wire cooling rack, popping it out of the pan.

While the cake cools, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter and cream cheese. Mix the butter and cream cheese on high until well combined. Turn the mixer off and add the powdered sugar, vanilla bean powder, lemon zest and lemon juice. Turn the mixer back on slowly, working the speed up slowly until the frosting is smooth and creamy. If the frosting seems a bit thick in texture, add a small splash of milk to the bowl and mix again until smooth.

Once the cake has completely cooled, use a serrated bread knife to slice the cake in half width wise, making two thin, even pieces. Place the bottom layer on a cake stand or square platter. Generously slather the bottom layer with half the frosting. Top with the second cake layer and frost the top of the cake with the remaining frosting. Garnish with fresh flowers or a bit more lemon zest. Use a butter knife to evenly scrape around the edges of the cake. Slice into pieces and serve. Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for up to two days.