Here we are in another month of the year still battling pandemia, a term I made up for this continued pandemic nonsense. As a healthcare professional, I'm in no means down playing the importance of safety and health during this quarantine. I'm just over continuing sacrifice and follow guidelines while others act as though they never heard of a mask or the CDC. After spending over a year in self-isolation and celebrating many holidays in the comfort of my own home, I decided that I would enjoy this particular holiday differently this year. Yes I might still be at home but my spirit has flown and soared to a new place.
Resurrection Sunday aka Easter Sunday reminds me that I despite last year and the continuance of this year I remain grateful. This is the time to appreciate revival and the good things that remain on the horizon. I took this positive outlook and filtered it into a new carrot cake recipe and decoration. I got so inspired I even made a Custom Sprinkle Mix for this occasion and this cake.
Check out my updated Carrot Cake recipe and cake below.
I hope you have a fabulous Easter Sunday.
(Makes two 9 inch cakes, four 6 inch cakes or 24 cupcakes)
Ingredients
Cake:
2 cups plus 1 tbsp. all purpose flour, separated.
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. fresh nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
¾ cup canola oil
1 ½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
4 eggs, room temperature
½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pound of peeled carrots, coarse grated (approximately 3 cups. I use baby carrots and my food processor. )
½ cup chopped pecans ( You can use traditional walnuts if you like)
½ cup raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting:
12 oz. of reduced fat cream cheese
½ cup of butter
3 1/2- 4 cups of confectioners sugar
2 tsp of vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F
Grease and flour cake pans.
In a medium sized mixing bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves . Set aside.
In a large bowl or using a stand mixer cream oil and sugars together. Beat on medium speed until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add eggs one at a time to the mixture. Slowly add the flour mixture one third at a time, alternating with buttermilk. After each addition, be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl. Mix batter until fully combined but be careful not to over mix. Add vanilla extract. Add grated carrots and slowly mix.
In a small bowl, add pecans, raisins and tbsp of flour. Mix until pecans and raisins are coated in flour.
Fold in pecans and raisins to the cake mixture. Be careful not to over mix.
Transfer batter to the cake pans and smooth batter evenly in the pans. Bake cakes for approximately 25-30 minutes until toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Place cakes onto cake rack and allow to cool completely to room temperature.
While cake is baking make the cream cheese frosting. In a large bowl, or stand mixer, whisk together cream cheese and butter. Slowly add confectioner’s sugar using mixer on low speed until frosting is smooth. Add vanilla extract. Whisk frosting on medium-high speed until vanilla extract combined and frosting is light and fluffy.
Frost cakes with cream frosting. Decorate with Sprinkles.
Devour and Enjoy!
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