MAKE IT CUTE

The ultimate spring dessert recipe is here! We love a good carrot cake loaded with brown sugar, carrots and nutty goodness. Bake this one as a sheet cake (a 9 x 13-inch pan should do at about 45 minutes bake time) or cupcakes (test at about 18 minute to see if they’re done), then pile high with cream cheese frosting. Back off, Peter Cottontail, this slice of cake has our name all over it.

Ingredients:

Cake:
4 eggs
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ cup applesauce
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups grated carrots
Optional: 1 cup chopped pecans

Frosting:

½ cup softened butter
8 oz softened cream cheese
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional: 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch baking pans and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, apple sauce, sugars and vanilla. Mix in the flour, baking soda and baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Then stir in the carrots and pecans. Divide the batter between the two prepared baking pans.

3. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

4. While the cake cools, make the frosting. Beat together the butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Stir in the pecans. Frost the cake.

Pro tip: Place two pieces of parchment beneath the bottom layer. When you’re finished frosting, pull the parchment out. Voila, clean plate!

by Brittany Taylor | 3/31/2018