Three Layer Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

So today is Eric's mom's birthday! (Happy Birthday Edye!) She loves carrot cake and found a recipe for a three layer carrot cake with a cream cheese frosting that she couldn't wait to try. Together we baked the cake, making a few alterations as we went along, and it turned out absolutely fantastic. It had everything you'd want in a carrot cake: carroty, cinnamon-y, and ginger-y. And the cream cheese frosting . . . to die for.

naked carrot cakes

Cake Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated
4 eggs
3 cups shredded carrots

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of three 8-inch cake pans with waxed paper or parchment and grease the sides of the pans with cooking spray. Set aside.

In one large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, pecans, and raisins. In another large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, lemon zest, and eggs. Stir in the carrots, then gradually mix the flour mixture into the liquid mixture. Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool then remove the cakes from the pans and place on a rack. Let the cakes cool completely.

cream cheese frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
3 8-ounces packages of low fat cream cheeses, softened
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt
1-4 tablespoons of milk

Directions:
Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl on medium-high speed until mixture is smooth. Add the vanilla, lemon juice, and salt. One cup at a time, beat in the powdered sugar. Add the milk a tablespoon at a time until you have the consistency that you want. 

Place one cake on your serving platter and spread approximately 3/4 cup frosting on top of the cake. Stack the second cake on top and spread another 3/4 cup frosting on top. Add the final cake on top and spread a thin layer of frosting on top of it. Place the cake in the refrigerator for one hour to allow frosting to set. Store your leftover frosting in the fridge as well. Once frosting has set, frost the rest of the cake.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday!

 ~Krissy