Hi friends! It’s Tasty Tuesday, and today we have a recipe for Carrot Cake! This carrot cake tastes so fresh and full of delicious ingredients, I just know you will love it! And then to top it off, one of the creamiest frostings ever! This would make a great addition to your Easter Dinner or for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day or just for a special treat!

Once again, I would like to thank my husband Troy, and my son Jake for their help with this recipe. It really is a team effort, especially since I am currently injured and cannot stand. They pitched in with this recipe and a million other things to help me out in so many different ways! So without further ado, let’s begin!

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cups oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 5 carrots grated
• 1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

**Note You could also add in 1 cup of raisins if you like raisins**

Frosting

• 1 8 oz bar cream cheese
• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Whisk together.

In another bowl, combine the sugar, oil, and vanilla, and whisk. Add in the eggs, whisking one at a time.

Now using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, add in the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing it in a little at a time until combined. Use your spatula to continually scrape the sides.

Grate the carrots (it’s really kind of fun!) 5 carrots should give you around 3 cups grated.

Add into your batter. Stir until combined.

Add in the nuts and coconut. What a special cake this will be!

Once combined, pour in your prepared pan.

Time to go in the oven! Ours took about 40 min. At 35 min, begin testing with the toothpick test, insert a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean, it is done. Allow the cake to cool thoroughly.

After your cake is cool, it’s time to make the frosting! Begin with your cream cheese in a bowl and with mixer, beat about 1 minute. Add in your powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating until smooth. Adding it in gradually keeps it from flying everywhere.

Then add in your heavy cream, and beat for about 1 more minute. This makes it so nice and smooth, like velvet!

Begin to dollop on the cake (you see I have quality control watching me!)

Frost the entire cake, and you are ready to go!

Let’s serve it up!

The frosting is literally so creamy, it’s kind of mesmerizing!

And the cake stands tall and yet with all the great nuts, coconut and carrots, it is still light and fluffy and moist!

It is “Swoon-Worthy”!

There is something about a carrot cake that seems to celebrate all the good and sweet and beautiful things of the earth! I think it is perfect as the days are growing longer and the blossoms are coming on the trees! The first little bulbs are popping up from the ground! And the birdies are beginning to sing their little hearts out!

I love springtime because it’s like the whole world get’s a fresh new makeover! I think something deep inside all of us loves the new life of spring and it rejuvenates our spirits almost like the fountain of youth! And as the world around us begins to blossom and flourish, new life begins to flourish in our hearts as well! We let go of the things that no longer serve us and embrace all things new and fresh and wonderful! It really is something to be celebrated!

I wish you the very best this week! Warm sunny days, trees beginning to bud, and a joy in your heart that is simply uncontainable!

Have a fantastic week!

Love Always,

Amy

Can words describe the fragrance of the very breath of spring?   ~Neltje Blanchan