Overloaded Carrot Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 10

Every bite of our Overloaded Carrot Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. This extremely moist carrot cake is overloaded with fresh shredded carrots, sweet pineapple, coconut, crunchy pecans with a generous slather of orange cream cheese frosting. This recipe can be used for a 3-tier round cake or 9x13 sheet cake. This cake is worthy of any celebration and perfect for your Easter celebration.

Ingredients

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 300° F.

Step 2

Candied Orange Peel Instructions 1. Use a grater on one orange to get 2 tsp orange zest, set aside. Use a vegetable peeler from top to bottom of orange, cut into thin strips. 2. Bring 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to simmer, stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. 3. Allow orange peel and allow to cool completely. 4. Dry orange peels on a cooling rack or paper towels. 5. Sprinkle with 1/4th cup sugar.

Step 3

Prepare three (3) cake pans with parchment paper, spray with Cooking Spray with flour. OR prepare one 9x13 baking dish by spraying with Cooking Spray with flour.

Step 4

Spread chopped pecans on a large baking sheet and toast for 7-8 minutes, set aside to cool. Increase oven to 350°F.

Step 5

Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Step 6

In a large bowl, whisk eggs lightly and stir in oil. Add remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar. Stir until very well incorporated. Stir in carrots, raisins, coconut, ½ cup toasted pecans, and drained pineapple.

Step 7

Pour wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until all are well incorporated.

Step 8

Divide evenly between the three (3) prepared 8-inch cake pans or pour all batter into 9x13 baking pan.

Step 9

Bake at 350° F oven for 20-35 minutes for round cake pans or 45-55 minutes for 9x13 baking dish OR until a toothpick inserted comes out just barely clean. Do not over bake.

Step 10

Remove from oven; allow to cool 10 minutes and remove cakes from the pans to cool. Refrigerate for ½ hour.

Step 11

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions 1. In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. 2. Add vanilla, powdered sugar, grated orange peel, and fresh orange juice. 3. Beat until smooth.

Step 12

Frost the Cake: For Round cakes, place first layer on bottom of serving dish. Top with a layer of Orange Cream Cheese Frosting, top with second layer, frosting, third layer, frosting. Cover outside with frosting. For 9x13 pan cake, frost top with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting.

Step 13

Top with Pecans and Candied Orange Peels. Spread toasted pecans around sides and top of round cakes and over the top of 9x13 cake. Decorate with Candied Orange Peels on top.

Cook's Notes

This cake is overloaded with ingredients. There are 1-1/2 cups of add-ons including yellow raisins, shredded coconut, and toasted pecans. Customize this cake with the desired quantities of any of these 3 ingredients or remove any you dislike. You can even add chocolate chips to this cake. Just ensure that the total add-ons equal 1-1/2 cups or less. For the 9x13 cake, it will rise to the very top of the dish. If you prefer space at the top of the pan for the frosting and toppings, you may remove batter enough for 4 cupcakes to allow more space and reduce baking time by 5 minutes.