Carrot Cake

This sweet and flavorful carrot cake isn’t your average carrot cake. Packed with flavors from applesauce, ginger and vanilla, this is sure to be your new favorite carrot cake recipe.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings slices

Calories 236kcal

Author Imma

Equipment

2 8-inch cake pans
large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Rubber spatula
Electric mixer

Ingredients

¾ cup (187.5g) cinnamon applesauce (optional)
½ cup (113.5g) butter , softened
½ cup (125ml) oil
½ cup (115g) sour cream
3/4 -1 cup (198g) brown sugar (see notes)
3/4 -1 cup 200g) granulated sugar (see notes )
3 large eggs , room temp
2 ¼ cups (281.25g) flour
1 teaspoon (6g) baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons (6g) baking powder
½ teaspoon (2.5g) salt
1 teaspoon (2g) nutmeg
2 teaspoons (5.2g) cinnamon
1 teaspoon (5.27g) ground ginger
2 ½ cups (275g) shredded carrots
1 cup (117g) walnuts or pecans , chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Walnuts for garnish

Frosting

½ cup (113.5g) butter , softened
8 oz (240g) cream cheese , softened
1 ½ teaspoons (6.3g) vanilla
2 cups (400g) powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly grease 2 8-inch cake pans.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together applesauce, butter, oil, sour cream, both sugars and eggs. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger. Add to egg mixture gradually. Mix well. Sifting the dry ingredients makes it easier to make sure every ingredient is mixed together well. If you don’t have a sifter, a metal strainer with very small holes will work just as good.
Using rubber spatula, fold in carrots and walnuts. Stir in vanilla.
Pour batter into baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until edges are golden.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla using an electric mixer on medium speed. Add sugar 1 cup at a time. Beat until smooth consistency.
Let cake cool completely before frosting. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.
Frost cake and stick walnuts to sides of cake as garnish.

Notes

If using applesauce cut down sugar to 3/4 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup granulated sugar. Apple sauce has quite a bit of sugar- and it makes it overly sweet.
If using a 9x13 baking dish, cook for 35-40 minutes.
Pecans can be used in place of walnuts.
Plain applesauce can be used, the cinnamon just adds a nice flavor.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition