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So, I’m sitting here on a Friday night and I’ve already put off writing this post all day because I have had absolutely no ideas on what to write about. I’m trying to focus, I really am…Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Do you ever have those days where the hours are simultaneously dragging on but yet somehow flying by? That was today for me. So much to get done, but yet nothing motivates or spurs any creativity.

I’m just going to let the carrot cake do most of the talking.

I started the process by making a little buttermilk {milk and lemon juice} since I didn’t have any and also got my golden raisins soaking in orange juice and a few tablespoons of spiced rum (thanks to my friend Bethany for that fantastic suggestion!)

I worked on mixing up the batter and shredding the carrots, then from that point on it’s just measuring and dumping the rest of the ingredients in! The picture below is what resulted. So many flavors and colors and textures. I absolutely love this cake because it still has the classic carrot cake taste but it’s amped up with a whole lot of goodness!

 

Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

While the cake was in the oven, I whipped up the maple cream cheese frosting in my stand mixer. I’ve learned my lesson way too many times in the past to not be so antsy that you hardly let your cakes cool before frosting. IT IS SO IMPORTANT that your cake are completely cool before an ounce of frosting touches their tasty selves.

Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

I’m telling you, this cat is so spoiled. Let me just tell you everything he’s eaten in the last 2 days.

  • Whipping Cream
  • Bacon
  • Chicken from dinner tonight
  • 5 leftover pieces of kale from my dinner plate. {Don’t ask.}

 

Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

I decided to go with unfrosted sides for this recipe because I think it looks awesome and exudes cake confidence. Like, “I know I’m not perfect and I know my layers aren’t even, but I still look fabulous.”

We love bacon in the Van Slyke household. LOVE bacon. love BACON. Loooooveee Bacon. One time we brought a bowl full of bacon and a pot of dipping chocolate to a church function. I also have a maple bacon pecan pie recipe that has made it to Thanksgiving dinners around the nation {ergh, Midwest}, {ergh, Kansas/Nebraska}, {ergh Traudt & Van Slyke households}.

Anyways, below is chopped and fried bacon, walnuts, a bit of brown sugar, and a bit of spiced rum! Num nums!!

 

Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

I’m telling you, this cake is to die for. And it’s basically a complete meal with all major food groups completed.

Grains: Cake

Meat: Bacon

Fruits: Pineapple

Veggies: Carrots

Sugar: ………

Dairy: Cream Cheese Frosting

Make it, eat it for breakfast, lunch, then dinner. Repeat until gone. Start process over again.

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Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

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  • Author: Kitschen Cat
  • Yield: 16 1x
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Ingredients

Scale

Cake

  • 3 eggs
  • ¾ cup buttermilk or 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¾ vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ cups white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla (affiliate) extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (affiliate)
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 cup flaked coconut
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (affiliate)
  • 1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple in juice
  • ¾ cup golden raisins {soaked in ¼ cup of orange juice and 2 tablespoons spiced rum}

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

  • Two 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1 stick unsalted butter (affiliate)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup (affiliate)
  • ¾ cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three, 9 inch round cake pans.
  2. In a large bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar and vanilla. Mix well.
  3. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Combine until all ingredients are moist.
  4. Add shredded carrots, coconut, walnuts, raisin mixture, and pineapple. Fold in gently until fully combined.
  5. Pour batter into the 3 prepared cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Turn cakes out onto cooling rack until cool to the touch.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. Combine and whip cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and maple syrup until light and fluffy.
  2. Spread ½ inch of frosting between layers of carrot cake.
  3. Whip heavy whipping cream until it doubles in volume and forms a stiff peak. Fold whipping cream into remainder of frosting, then frost top layer of cake. **as thick as desired.

**Optional bacon/walnut garnish

  1. Chop 5 slices of bacon and fry in skilled on medium heat until starting to crisp.
  2. Add in ½ cup of chopped walnuts and 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar, stir over medium heat until everything is caramelized (2-3 minutes).
  3. Pour mixture out onto wax paper to cool.
  4. Sprinkle over top of layer cake.

Other Carrot Recipes You’ll Love!

Carrot Cake Steel Cut Oats

Carrot Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls

Oven Roasted Curried Cardamom Carrots

Pressure Cooker Gingery Carrot Soup