This is a nice layered spice cake with added carrot and apple. Cream cheese frosting really takes it over the top.
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour: 3 cups
- baking powder: 2 tsp
- ground cinnamon: 2 tsp
- ground ginger: 1 tsp
- baking soda: 0.5 tsp
- salt: 0.5 tsp
- ground nutmeg: 0.25 tsp
- ground cloves: 0.25 tsp
- ground allspice: 0.25 tsp
- unsalted butter: 0.75 cup (softened)
- vegetable oil: 0.25 cup
- firmly packed dark brown sugar: 1 cup
- white sugar: 0.75 cup
- eggs, at room temperature: 4 piece
- vanilla extract: 2 tsp
- buttermilk, at room temperature: 1 cup
- ½ cups grated carrot: 1 piece
- Granny Smith apple: 1 cup (peeled and grated)
- raisins: 0.75 cup (optional)
- pecans: 0.75 cup (chopped, optional)
- unsalted butter: 0.5 cup (softened)
- ounces cream cheese: 12 piece (softened)
- ½ cups confectioners' sugar: 4 piece
- ½ teaspoons vanilla extract: 1 piece
- salt: 0.125 tsp
- heavy cream: 3 Tbsp (or as needed)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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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.
