Carrot Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Icing

Name: Carrot Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Icing
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 200 min
Ingredients: 1 T Butter (soften); 2 T Flour; 3 cups All Purpose Flour; 1½ tsp Baking Soda; 2 tsp Cinnamon; ½ tsp Salt; 2 cups Grated Carrots; 1 cup Chopped Pecans (toasted*); 1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar; 3 Eggs; ¾ cups Vegetable Oil; 1 cup Crushed Pineapple w/ Juice; ¾ cup Greek Nonfat Yogurt; 2 tsp Vanilla; 2 8 oz. Packages Cream Cheese (softened); 1 Stick Butter (softened); 1 T Orange Zest; ¾ cup Honey; ½ cup Confectioners’ Sugar; ¼ cup Chopped Pecans

I think most southern families have their version of a carrot cake. It’s a classic. This is my take on my Mom’s recipe. The carrot cake batter is not light and fluffy, its more dense like a muffin batter. So I’ve added yogurt and I love the traditional addition of crushed pineapple to add flavor and help keep it moist. The cake is studded with roasted pecans and then covered in a decadent cream cheese icing. Just a slice of heaven. A perfect way to end a delicious spring meal.

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Prep Time 40 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Cooling Time 2 hrs

Total Time 3 hrs 20 mins

Ingredients

Cake:

1 T Butter soften
2 T Flour
3 cups All Purpose Flour
1½ tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Salt
2 cups Grated Carrots
1 cup Chopped Pecans toasted*
1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar
3 Eggs
¾ cups Vegetable Oil
1 cup Crushed Pineapple w/ Juice
¾ cup Greek Nonfat Yogurt
2 tsp Vanilla

Frosting:

2 8 oz. Packages Cream Cheese softened
1 Stick Butter softened
1 T Orange Zest
¾ cup Honey
½ cup Confectioners’ Sugar
¼ cup Chopped Pecans

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350º F.
Cut Parchment Paper to fit cake pan. STEP 1: Fold parchment paper in half.
STEP 2: Fold parchment paper in half again.
STEP 3: Fold diagonal corners together to make a triangle, keeping center of parchment as your triangle point.
STEP 4: Keeping your finger on the center point of the parchment paper, fold the parchment sides together to make a skinny triangle.
STEP 5: Line up the center point of the parchment triangle to the center of your cake pan. Cut parchment where it meets the sides of your cake pan. Open the parchment paper and you'll have a circle that fits the bottom of your cake pan.
Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together, add the carrots and nuts and toss until well coated with the flour mixture. Set aside.
In a mixer set on medium speed, mix together the sugar and the eggs until well combined. Add the oil, pineapple, yogurt, and vanilla. Mix well, scrape down the side of the bowl.
With the mixer on low, add carrot nut ingredients. Mix just until combined.
Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake at 350º F for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Place cake pans onto a cooling rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes before unmolding. Allow to completely cool before frosting.
Frosting: In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and honey until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add in the sugar and orange zest. Beat until smooth.
Place one layer of completely cooled cake on the platter. ( if you wish use a cake cutter to remove/cut off the cake edges) Spread ½ the frosting on top. Place the remaining cake on top and frost with remaining frosting.
Decorate with chopped nuts. Serve and enjoy.
*To roast nuts: preheat oven 350º F. Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Shake the pan and continue baking until nuts are toasted, about 3-5 minutes more. Let them cool. The roasted nuts can be stored in an airtight container for weeks.