Carrot Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups grated carrot
- 1 cup peeled and grated Granny Smith apple
- ¾ cup raisins (Optional)
- ¾ cup chopped pecans (Optional)
Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream, or as needed
Directions:
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 8-inch square pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
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Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice together in a bowl; set aside.
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Beat butter, oil, brown sugar, and white sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat batter for an additional 2 minutes after adding last egg. Beat in vanilla extract. Pour in half of the flour mixture; mix on low speed until just combined. Pour in buttermilk; mix until just combined. Pour in remaining flour mixture; mix until just combined. Fold in carrot, apple, raisins, and pecans.
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Divide batter evenly between the two pans. Spread into an even layer in each pan.
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Bake in the preheated oven until the top of the cake springs back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
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Allow cakes to cool in pans for 20 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours more.
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Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until completely smooth; beat in cream cheese until smooth and thoroughly combined. Beat in confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition; beat in vanilla and salt. Add in heavy cream; beat on medium-high until frosting is slightly fluffy, about 2 minutes.
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Spread frosting onto one cooled cake layer. Stack layers; frost top and sides.
