Annmarie’s Favorite Carrot Cake Recipe (Perfect for Birthdays and Holidays)

If you're looking for a delicious carrot cake recipe for a holiday party, try this one! I made it for my son Hudson's 3rd birthday and it's my mother's own recipe. It's also one of Kevin's favorite desserts.

As always, we recommend you use organic ingredients when possible.

Of course, decorating it like I did is totally optional. This was for Hudson's third birthday.

Annmarie's Carrot Cake Recipe

Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup organic cane sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose, organic flour
• 2 tsp organic cinnamon
• 2 tsp organic baking powder
• 2 tsp organic baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ cup organic walnuts or pecans

Wet Ingredients

• 3 cups peeled and grated organic carrots
• ½ cup all-natural, organic applesauce
• ½ cup organic sunflower seed oil
• 2 free-range, organic eggs*

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 °F.
2. Grease your pan. This recipe works great with 2 round 8 inch pans, or 1 square pan that's 9×11 inches.
3. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
4. Mix all wet ingredients together in a separate bowl. Then add your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients and mix well (Note: This batter will be very stiff).
5. Spread the batter evenly into baking cake pans.
6. Bake at 350 °F for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of each cake pan comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 5-10 minutes on a wire rack. Loosen cake layers from sides of pans using a narrow spatula or plastic knife; turn out onto wire racks, and let cool completely (This can take about 30 minutes to 1 hour).

Once cooled, frost using this recipe:

Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Epicurious.com

Ingredients:

• 12-ounces organic cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup organic unsalted butter, softened
• ½ tsp grated organic lemon zest
• 2 tsp fresh organic lemon juice
• ½ tbsp organic vanilla extract
• ¾ cups organic powdered sugar

Directions:

1. In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until combined and airy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
2. Sift the powdered sugar onto a piece of parchment or wax paper. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sifted powdered sugar into the frosting (use both hands to bend the paper so the sugar pours slowly into the bowl).
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. If the frosting seems too soft to spread, allow it to chill for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Hudson sure liked his cake. 🙂

Are there any other recipes you'd like to see from us? Let us know in the comments below!