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Carrot Cake with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

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Ingredients
  

For Carrot Cake

  • 2 cups Walnuts chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs large
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 2 cups carrots grated (about 4-6)

For Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 16 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • 1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1 pinch salt

Instructions
 

For Carrot Cake

  • Preheat oven to 300°F and spread chopped walnuts onto a lined baking sheet. Toast for 7-8 minutes and let cool.
  • Turn oven up to 350°F. Line and grease 3 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray and parchment paper.
  • Whisk both sugars, oil, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla in a large bowl until combined. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves together. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and fold together until combined with a rubber spatula. Fold in carrots and 1 cup of walnuts (leaving the other cup for garnish).
  • Evenly spoon batter into cake pans. If using 3 cake pans, bake for 20-24 minutes, if only using two cake pans, bake for 30-35 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cakes cool on wire rack before frosting and assembling.

For Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In a stand mixer with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
  • Add in powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt and beat on low for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and mix until combined and creamy, about 3 minutes. 
  • When cakes are cool, frost and assemble as you please!