Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients:

• 2 C sugar
• 1 C canola oil
• 4 large eggs
• 2 C flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 C shredded carrots
• 1 C pecan chips plus 1 cup for decorations around the bottom of the cake

Cream cheese Buttercream frosting ingredients:

• 2 - 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 1 C unsalted sweet cream butter softened
• 12 C powdered sugar
• 2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 5 tbsp heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Carrot Cake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Spray two 9in round cake pans with pam baking spray and set aside
3. Using a standing mixer, mix until combined the sugar, oil and eggs
4. Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until combined
5. Fold in the shredded carrots and 1 C pecan chips
6. Divide the batter between the two cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
7. Allow cake to cool completely on a wire rack
8. Remove cake from pans onto a cutting board
9. Using a cake slicer, remove the rounded top from the cake
10. Cut the cake in half so that you have two rounds
11. Repeat step with other cake round. You should end up with 4 cake rounds

Frosting directions:

12. Using a standing mixer, cream together the cream cheese, and butter until combined
13. Gradually beat in 6 cups of powdered sugar until combined and smooth
14. Mix in the vanilla extract
15. Gradually beat in the remaining 6 cups of powdered sugar and the 5 tbsp of heavy whipping cream until thick and smooth

Directions to build the cake:

16. Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate
17. Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly on top of the cake layer.
18. Place another layer of cake onto the top of the first layer of frosting
19. Spread another cup of frosting onto the second cake layer
20. Place the third layer of cake onto the top of the second layer of frosting
21. Scoop another 1 cup of frosting onto the third cake layer and spread evenly
22. Place the last cake layer onto the third layer of frosting
23. Frost the entire cake with remaining frosting
24. Sprinkle the remaining pecan chips around the edge of the bottom of the cake
25. Place cake into fridge for an hour before cutting and enjoying.