INGREDIENTS:
CAKE
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup melted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup peach jam
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 T ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups finely grated carrots
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, softened
- 12 oz. cream cheese, softened (1 1/2 bricks)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 T heavy cream
- toasted coconut for topping the cake (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
If baking right away, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease and flour 2 round 9-inch cake pans, or line them with parchment paper.
- Make the cake batter: Add the eggs, melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, buttermilk, and peach jam to a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer for 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt) to the wet ingredients, then use a hand mixer or a stand mixer and whisk attachment to beat for 3 more minutes. Add the grated carrots, shredded coconut, and chopped walnuts to the carrot cake batter and fold in with a spatula.
- Bake the cake: Divide the cake batter between the two prepared cake pans and bake the two cake layers in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Do not overbake or the cake will be dry. Once the cakes are done, allow them to cool in the cake pans for 30 minutes, and then turn them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Place the wire rack and cakes in the fridge or freezer to speed up the cooling process if you’re in a hurry.
- Make the frosting and toast the coconut: In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese on high for 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on high for 2 minutes. Pour in the heavy cream and mix on high for another 2 minutes. Set the frosting aside. Toast the coconut in a skillet on low or in the oven at 350 F on a baking sheet until it is golden brown.
- Assemble the cake: Once the cake layers have cooled, place the bottom layer on a cake plate and spread 1 cup of cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake. Place the second layer on top of the frosted first layer, make sure it is centered on the cake, and press down on the top a bit to keep the cake from sliding off as you finish frosting the top and sides of the cake. Use the rest of the frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake. Then top the cake with the toasted coconut. Serve right away or refrigerate the carrot cake and serve it cold.
Notes:
- Bake the cake in advance. Bake the carrot cake several hours before you plan to serve it. This carrot cake needs to be cooled completely before assembling and adding frosting to it maintains its shape and the frosting doesn’t melt from being spread on a warm cake.
- Don’t skip the peach jam. This is what makes the cake so moist and delicious! You can substitute applesauce if you don’t have peach jam. Crushed pineapple works as well.
- Prep the cake pans well. It’s really difficult to assemble a layer cake when half the cake sticks to the cake pan, so don’t skip the pan prep! Even when I use non-stick pans, I still grease and flour just to be safe. Giving cakes adequate cooling time also helps prevent sticking.
- Make a sheet cake or cupcakes. This moist carrot cake recipe works wonderfully as a sheet cake in a jelly roll pan or as carrot cake cupcakes. Just adjust the baking time as needed.
- Make Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting. Substitute your favorite eggnog for the heavy cream in the rich cream cheese frosting recipe for a fun, holiday twist to this classic carrot spice cake.
