Carrot Tea Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

(237)
tea cake with frosting
Prep Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs
Servings:
8

Grated carrot is the secret to the moist crumb and mellow sweetness of this loaf cake topped with thick swirls of tangy cream-cheese frosting.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan

  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • ½ cup packed dark-brown sugar

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 1 cup packed grated carrots (from about 2 carrots)

  • 1 bar (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 5-by-9-inch (6-cup) loaf pan. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

  2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in carrots. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Turn cake out onto a wire rack, and let cool completely.

  3. Make frosting: Using mixer, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until fluffy. Frost top of cooled cake.

Related Articles