Almond Carrot Cake
This Almond Carrot Cake is knock your socks off good! Almond Cream Cheese Frosting the sassy sister to the traditional vanilla cream cheese frosting. If you're looking to spice things up a bit this Almond Carrot Cake is what you're looking for!
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 772kcal
Equipment
- 2 9" cake pans
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups carrots grated (I shred the carrots with a food processor)
- 8 oz crushed pineapple with juice
- ½ cup raisins
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups flour all purpose
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon ground
- ½ tsp ginger ground
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom ground
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves ground
- ¾ cup sliced almonds toasted
Almond Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 oz cream cheese room temp
- 1 cup butter room temp
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal Brand
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 cups powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
Making the carrot cake
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease 2, 9-inch cake pans. Spray them with non-stick cooking spray then line the bottoms with parchment paper and spray again
- Whisk oil and sugar together in a large mixing bowl
- Mix in eggs and vanilla extract
- Stir in carrots, pineapple and raisins
Dry Ingredients
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cardamom in a mixing bowl
- Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until combined
- Pour carrot cake batter into prepared cake pans then bake 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean or with only a few crumbs Allow cakes to cool 15 minutes then remove from pan and let them cool on a parchment lined wire rack. I refrigerate them to speed up the process but that's not necessary
Toasting Almonds
- Place the baking sheet with the almonds into the oven for 10 minutes or just until lightly browned. Set aside to cool
Making Almond Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place both cream cheese and butter into a the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for one minute until smooth
- Mix in salt, almond extract, vanilla extract and powdered sugar until combined. Scrape down the sides and beat on high speed for another 3 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy.
Frost Cake
- Once the cake is completely cooled pipe about ½-3/4 inch of Almond Cream Cheese Frosting on top of one of the layers. Top that with the second layer of cake then add frosting to the top, leaving the sides naked. Add toasted almonds and carrot peels for garnish then refrigerate for at least one hour to set the frosting.
Notes
Baking with room temperature ingredients gives you an even bake with more rise.
Use the shredding blade on a food processor to shred carrots effortlessly. Peel carrots first.
After peeling carrots skin, continue peeling long flat ribbons to save for garnish.
Refrigerate cake after frosting to help cream cheese frosting hold it's shape. At least an hour works and up to overnight. Get the chill off the cake before serving as it is best at room temperature. Cream cheese frosting will still hold shape.
Nutrition
Calories: 772kcal | Carbohydrates: 106g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 812mg | Potassium: 344mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 81g | Vitamin A: 5986IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 135mg | Iron: 2mg
