Best Carrot Cake Recipe

This best carrot cake recipe is for a one layer 8 inch cake. Just the right size for a small amount of people.

Ingredients

Cake
2 cups firmly packed finely grated fresh carrots
juice of 1 large orange
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup light olive oil
1 cup liquid honey
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup raisins

Cream Cheese Icing
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp orange zest

Directions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line an 8 inch round cake pan with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper with butter.

In a mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon to stir together the grated carrots, orange juice, vanilla, olive oil, honey, and crushed pineapple until well blended.

In a second mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking soda,cinnamon and allspices and stir in the raisins.

Mix the dry ingredients into the carrot mixture,a little at a time,using a wooden spoon and stirring until just until the it is mixed.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

Place into preheated oven and bake 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan onto a cooling rack.

Wait until cool before icing.

Cram Cheese Icing

In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until creamy.

Add the confectioners' sugar vanilla extract and orange zest and beat until combined.

Place the cake onto a cake plate and frost.

Keep any leftover cake, covered and in the refrigerator.