Carrot Cake
Carrot cake is a classic, all-time favorite for many, and for good reason. Here we cut the oil in half and replace it with North Coast apple sauce, the perfect way to cut down on added fat and calories. Adding apple sauce is also a great way to increase natural sweetness and ensures a moist and elegant outcome.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- pinch ground cloves
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups North Coast Apple Sauce
- 3 cups finely shredded carrots
- 1 cup raisins or golden raisins
- 1 cup pecans chopped
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup butter softened
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F and line two 9” round cake pans with parchment paper (or grease). Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves to a large mixing bowl and stir well. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla and apple sauce. Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Fold in the carrots, raisins and pecans. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting
- To make the frosting, add all ingredients to a stand mixer and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.Spread an even layer of frosting in between the two layers of cake, then frost the exterior. Optional: sprinkle 1 cup of chopped pecans on the sides/top of the cake.
