Sonoma Farmers Market Spring Carrot Cake
As the flowers begin to bloom and the sun shines, soak in these first sights of Spring with a Carrot Cake inspired by the Sonoma Farmers Market. Support your local farmers by picking up a bunch of carrots to make this decadent cake topped with a rich cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
4 cups shredded carrots, firmly packed
2 cups Robs Red Mill Paleo Flour, plus more for dusting pans
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. Sonoma Syrup Co. Organic Vanilla Bean Extract "Blend"
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
4 large eggs
¾ cup coconut sugar
¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1¼ cup unsalted butter
2 cups chopped walnuts
16 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tsp. Sonoma Syrup Co. Organic Vanilla Bean Extract "Blend"
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1 pinch of sea salt
Carrot Cake
Cream Cheese Frosting
Directions
Carrot Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with pre-cut parchment paper, and butter parchment. Dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.
Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat 3 minutes. Add vanilla extract, water, and carrots. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture, then coarsely chopped walnuts.
Scrape batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen, and turn out cakes onto rack. Turn right side up, and let cool completely.
Place one trimmed cake, cut side up, on a serving platter. Spread about 1 cup frosting over cake. Top with second trimmed cake, cut side down. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake. Top with remaining cake. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides. Optional, Gently press coarsely chopped walnuts onto sides of cake. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.
Cream Cheese Frosting
In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. On low speed, beat in vanilla extract then beat on high speed until smooth.