Easy Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese glaze

I love carrot cake. I love carrot cake in all it’s forms, from muffins and pound cakes you find in coffee houses to the decadent fully covered in rich and addicting cream cheese frosting. There is even a New York restaurant just around the theater that has a carrot cake cheesecake. All of them are delicious. It’s easy to convince yourself that it’s really healthy, it’s got vegetables and fruit in it right?

This Carrot cake recipe is the carrot cake I grew up with. It came from my next door neighbor, the one who was very kind to let us use her pool all summer. It is simple and just yummy. There isn’t any coconut or even raisins. The original recipe didn’t even have a cream cheese topping it. But who can resist adding some cream cheese?

This recipe is as easy as it gets. You don’t need a mixer. You don’t need any fancy equipment, other than a Bundt pan, so it is quick to put together. If you turn on the oven when you start, by the time you have the carrots grated and the batter mixed, the oven will be ready and you will have the smell of baking carrot cake wafting through your house.

The spring holidays are here and this would make a great addition to any family gathering. You could substitute coconut oil for the vegetable oil or bake this batter into layers or 2 bread pans. The batter really is versatile. Let me know in the comments below what you have done with carrot cake. Next week I have a special Idea of what few leftovers I will have.

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Carrot cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 20 mins

 

A simple but delicious carrot cake

Course: Baking

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 8 oz can crushed pineapple in juice
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups Vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans
• 2 cups peeled and grated carrots

1 recipe Cream Cheese Glaze

• 1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• milk

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°. 

2. Spray or butter and flour a 12-inch Bundt pan. 
   

3. Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice. You should get about ¼ cup of juice. Adjust as necessary to get to the ¼ cup. 
   

4. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, the sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and the salt. 
   

5. Stir in the reserved juice, the beaten eggs, oil, and the vanilla. Make sure it is all moistened.

6. Stir in the crushed pineapple, the chopped nuts, and the grated carrots. 
   

7. Stir to thoroughly combine.

8. Spread the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Tap the pan to release any large air pockets.
   

9. Bake the cake for 60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is golden brown. 
   

10. Let the cake cool for 10 to 15 minutes to stabilize before unmolding and cooling completely, usually about an hour or 2 more.

Cream Cheese Glaze

1. Mix together the cream cheese and the powdered sugar and the vanilla. 
   

2. Add enough milk to make a barely pourable glaze. Pour over the cooled cake