I am picky when it comes to desserts. I know what I like and what I don’t like. Carrot cake is one of my absolute favourites, but it has to be done the right way. All too often can you go to a bakery and try crumbling, dry, and unenjoyable carrot cake. I find that many cake are also overloaded with super sweet icing not allowing you to taste the cake and provoking an awful stomach ache from excessive sugar.

I became tired of my failures to fine the best carrot cake ever, so I experimented with various recipes and blended them all together with a few of my personal twists to develop the greatest carrot cake ever!

Carrot Cake

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1 overflowing teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 heaping cups peeled and grated carrots
• 1 heaping cup drained crushed canned pineapple
• 1/2 cup sultana raisins

Cream Cheese Icing:

• 1 8 oz. package cream cheese (full fat)
• 1/4 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1/2 overflowing teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup icing sugar

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and nutmeg. In another bowl, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, canola oil, and vanilla extract.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. In small batches, stir in the carrots, then the pineapple, and finally the raisins.

Put cake batter into a 9 inch diameter springform cake pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for at least 40 minutes. The cake usually takes closer to an hour to bake. Test the cake and do not stop baking until the toothpick comes out clean. If even a little batter is on the tester, keep baking. This cake is extremely moist and will not dry out.

Allow the cake to cool for at least an hour before icing.

For the icing, combine the cream cheese and butter in a bowl until smooth and has a uniform consistency. Add in vanilla extract and then slowly add the icing sugar in small batches. The smaller the batches added, the better texture the icing will have.

Spread a thick layer of icing all around the cake. Refrigerate and enjoy.