Today was fun because I got to do something a little rare for me these days, bake alongside my mom who is visiting for the Easter holiday. I distinctly remember my mom making a carrot cake the shape of a bunny, tail and ears and all, covered in shredded coconut one year so this brought bake memories. This recipe would be great for an spring brunch or bridal shower or baby shower. Or make it as muffins to bring into the office or your child’s school. We left out the nuts by the way because one of the kiddos tomorrow is allergic, so keep that in mind when making yours.

©EverydayCookingAdventures 2014

I like how you literally put all your ingredients one-by-one into a large mixing bowl, whisk it all together and just pour it in the pans. Now, speaking of pans, we baked the carrot cake in two different ways. One was in a muffin tin and one was in a muffing tin with molds shaped like bunny faces. That sounds cute right? We thought so too. Except since the carrot cake is so moist even when it is all baked that it makes it crumble when you go to take it out of the delicate little bunny molds. The muffins on the other hand came out perfect.

©EverydayCookingAdventures 2014

The carrot cake is sweet and savory at the same time. You can taste the bits of carrot melding with the   fragrant spices and sweet raisins. Delicious! I recommend only baking it however in loaf pans or muffin tins. My mom and I each had a muffin and declared that no frosting was needed. The frosting would make them prettier is you are serving them to friends and family but really the cake is sweet enough on its own. Here are our carrot cake muffins:

©EverydayCookingAdventures 2014

Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting

From: Averie Cooks

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes for loaves and 20-25 minutes for muffins

Yield: 2 loaves (one 9″x5″ and one 8″x4″) or 24 muffins

Ingredients:
Cake:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch salt, optional
• 2 1/4 cups coarsely grated carrots, packed loosely
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup diced nuts (such as walnuts, pecans), optional

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray loaf pans with floured cooking spray; set aside. Choose any combination of 2 loaf pans or muffin tins (makes 24 muffins).

2. In a large, microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt the butter covered lightly with a paper towel to prevent splattering, about 1 minute. Add the oil, eggs, buttermilk, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg, and whisk vigorously until combined.

3. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, optional salt, and stir to incorporate; don’t overmix. Stir in the carrots. Stir in the raisins and optional nuts. If using both raisins and nuts, use about 3/4 cup of each rather than 1 cup each, or the batter may become overwhelmed with add-ins. Pour batter into prepared pans, making sure not to fill the pans too full.

4. Bake the two loaves for 40 to 50 minutes, or until top is set in the center, golden, and a toothpick comes out clean. Muffins or mini loaves could bake in about 20-25 minutes. Allow cake to cool in pans for about 10 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. While cakes cool, make the frosting.

5. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the cream cheese and butter, and beat to soften and combine, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, and beat until light and fluffy. Add additional sugar as desired for thicker frosting.

6. Once loaves are thoroughly cooled, spread frosting over the tops. For the loaf, slice into 3/4″ wide slices and serve. Store unfrosted loaf wrapped in plastic wrap and placed inside a large ziptop plastic bag for up to 1 week at room temperature, or freeze for up to 3 months. Freezing second loaf after it’s cooled is recommended if you’re not going to eat it within a week.