Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting :)
I made this same cake around the same time last year. This time, I had a real purpose: my friend’s 21st birthday. :)
What else went differently this time?
1. Smaller cake + cupcakes
I didn’t want to overwhelm anybody with a huge, overbearing cake, so I decided to make a small 2-layer, (about) 2”-radius cake for my friend, and used the rest of the batter for cupcakes. The cupcakes served as a great little mid-day/post-lunch treat for my roommates. :)
2. Thicker, better frosting
I’m finally getting a hang of this whole “frosting” thing. I’m pretty sure I completely messed up the frosting last time (i.e. I didn’t have maple syrup sitting around, so I just tried to make frosting with cream cheese, powdered sugar, and butter only..). I usually don’t have pure maple syrup just sitting around, so I substituted honey for the syrup. Result? A smooth, not-too-sweet frosting. This frosting isn’t overwhelmingly sweet (like most store-bought frostings are); it allows the cream cheese to stand out and speak for itself, which makes the frosting so much more refreshing. Also, this light frosting complements the carrot cake, rather than overpowering it in the realm of your taste buds.
What would I do differently next time?
More stuff.
I’m really hesitant to ever add nuts/dried fruits to baked things, because I’m always afraid someone might be allergic to nuts, or might just hate that certain dried fruit that I added to the recipe. However, I think that carrot cake is made even more delicious when it includes hints of walnuts and raisins. Next time, I’ll overcome my fears of displeasing people and toss in a cup or two of both raisins and walnuts. Yum. :)
Here’s the recipe for the carrot cake and maple cream cheese icing. Don’t lose it. This recipe is so delicious that I’m confidently making it my go-to carrot cake recipe for the rest of my life (yes, it’s that good). :)
