Hi guys,

I know I’ve essentially abandoned this blog in the past year. I’m sorry! In the spirit of the holiday season, I’m back with a very festive carrot cake recipe. I adapted this recipe from a carrot cake recipe I found on Inspired Taste. I wanted to add a little something something to it, so I changed the nuts to hazelnut, added ginger and nutmeg, and also coconut flakes! The result is a delicious and very festive spiced carrot cake!

Spiced Coconut Carrot Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1 1/4 cups (295 ml) olive oil
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (200 grams) lightly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups (300 grams) grated peeled carrots (5 to 6 medium carrots)
• 1 1/2 cup (100 grams) coarsely chopped hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup (65 grams) raisins
• 1/2 cup grated coconut

FROSTING

• 16 ounces (450 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups (280 grams) powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup (160 ml) heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 – 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts) for topping

Directions

Heat the oven to 350º F. Grease two 9 inch round cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper then grease the top of the paper. Or, grease and flour the bottom and sides of both pans.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, sugars and vanilla. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until blended.
Switch to a large rubber spatula. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, stirring gently until they disappear and the batter is smooth. Stir in the carrots, coconut, nuts, and raisins.

Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake until the tops of the cake layers are springy when touched and when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean; 35 to 45 minutes.
Cool cakes in pans for 15 minutes then turn out onto cooling racks, peel off parchment paper and cool completely.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with a handheld mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in the powdered sugar, a 1/4 cup at a time until fluffy. Pour in cream and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Chill covered until ready to frost cake.

When the cake layers are completely cool, cut the top part of the cake that rises up to make a flat surface on both slices, frost the top of one cake layer, place the other cake layer on top. Decoratively swirl the top of the cake with remaining frosting, frost the side, Scatter nuts all around.