Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

Cake

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cups loosely packed, finely grated carrot
• (number of carrots depends on their size)

Frosting

• 1 package (225 g) brick cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Grease two 9-inch square cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until blended.
4. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice and cloves.
5. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the grated carrot.
6. Add this to the wet mixture and stir until evenly blended (the batter will be wet).
7. Divide this between the 2 pans and bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
8. Cool the cake for 30 minutes in their pans, then turn out onto cooling racks to cool completely.

Frosting

1. In a mixing bowl, with electric beaters, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
2. Add half of the confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth.
3. Beat in the vanilla and lemon juice and then beat in the remaining confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy.

Assembly

1. Peel the parchment paper from the cake layers and place one layer onto a plate or platter.
2. Spread the top with a generous layer of frosting and top with the second cake.
3. Use a spatula to frosting the top and sides of the cakes.
4. Garnish with finely grated carrot if desired.
5. The cake will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator.