Carrot Cake with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Today I'm showing you a new favorite crowd-pleasing cake recipe...carrot cake with cream cheese frosting! I bake a ton for work and I really didn't expect everyone to like this cake as much as they did. Who would have thought? This cake is super moist thanks to the added applesauce, and the frosting is so delicious, flecked with vanilla bean specs which would make the most amazing topping on a cinnamon roll!

Carrot Cake with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

For Carrot Cake

• 2 cups Walnuts (chopped)
• 1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar (packed)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs (large)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 cups carrots (grated (about 4-6))

For Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

• 16 ounces cream cheese (softened)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
• 1 pinch salt

For Carrot Cake

1. Preheat oven to 300°F and spread chopped walnuts onto a lined baking sheet. Toast for 7-8 minutes and let cool.

2. Turn oven up to 350°F. Line and grease 3 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray and parchment paper.

3. Whisk both sugars, oil, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla in a large bowl until combined. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves together. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and fold together until combined with a rubber spatula. Fold in carrots and 1 cup of walnuts (leaving the other cup for garnish).

4. Evenly spoon batter into cake pans. If using 3 cake pans, bake for 20-24 minutes, if only using two cake pans, bake for 30-35 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cakes cool on wire rack before frosting and assembling.

For Cream Cheese Frosting

1. In a stand mixer with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.

2. Add in powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt and beat on low for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and mix until combined and creamy, about 3 minutes. 

3. When cakes are cool, frost and assemble as you please!