Carrot cake is my favorite way to get in my daily dose of vegetables. My recipe consists of three parts: the cake, the crumble, and the frosted topping. These cupcakes feature a soft and moist spiced carrot cake base, complemented by a simple Biscoff pecan crumble added both at the bottom and sprinkled on top for extra texture and crunch. The topping is decadent caramel cream cheese frosting, where the caramel is gently incorporated into whipped cream cheese. All of these flavors and textures combine to elevate the classic carrot cake we all know and love.
The flavors
The delightful warmth of carrot cake spices inspired me to enhance its flavor profile with maple and caramel. Adding maple extract adds a layered sweetness while complementing the spices.
While carrot cake traditionally pairs with cream cheese frosting, I wanted to add a little more. I created a light whipped frosting infused with salted caramel. The salted caramel notes in the frosting balance on a tangy cream cheese base.
The remaining flavors in the cake come from brown sugar and a blend of spices including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Together, these spices create a warm and inviting palette that tastes like everything fall represents. I particularly like the woody aroma of cinnamon, as well as the zing and slight kick from ginger.
My Secret Ingredient
If you’re looking to elevate your carrot cake, I’ve got just the secret ingredient for you. While experimenting with other options like apple cider vinegar for tartness and moisture, I found that nothing quite matched the impact of pineapple. Adding crushed pineapple, both the fruit and its juice, guarantees this cake stays wonderfully moist. Carrot cake, without this secret ingredient, tends to become dry and crumbly. The acidity of pineapple acts as a tenderizer, preventing the cake from drying out by breaking down proteins. Pineapple’s tartness creates a delightful tanginess, while its natural sweetness enhances the dessert’s overall flavor.
I opt for shredded or crushed pineapple because its texture seamlessly blends with the shredded carrots. However, if you want to add a contrasting texture to your cake, you can use diced or sliced pineapple instead. Overall, pineapple elevates the richness and sweetness of the cake, and you can’t even taste it!
The Texture
While pecans are listed as optional, I highly recommend adding them for added texture against the velvety cake. Don’t forget to toast your pecans, as it brings out so much more flavor.
You can also opt to add a cup of shredded coconut or golden raisins, but I chose to omit them in my recipe based on personal preference.
The shredded carrots naturally contribute some texture to the cake. They seamlessly meld with the other ingredients without leaving any overpowering chunks.
The salted caramel
I did not add a specific caramel recipe here. However, you can Google any salted caramel sauce recipe to use in the frosting and for garnish. This recipe calls for a little over 1 cup of caramel. I use about ¾ cup in the frosting and I use about ¼ of a cup for garnishing.
When I make caramel, I like to add extra salt and vanilla extra. Make sure you add these at the very end though!
If you don’t want to make caramel
Caramel can be a tricky step to master, as sugar can burn quickly and irreversibly. I’ve certainly learned from my fair share of burnt caramel mishaps! If you prefer to avoid the caramel-making process, don’t worry. This recipe is equally delicious with a maple twist. Instead of the salted caramel cream cheese frosting, simply prepare a classic cream cheese frosting and add maple extract to taste. Start with a teaspoon and adjust according to your preference for maple flavor. The maple will complement the cream cheese with its natural sweetness. For an extra dimension, you can also add a tablespoon of cinnamon to enhance the spice and texture.
*Check out the spiced pecan and biscoff crumble recipe here.
Tips:
- Roast your pecans.
- Grate your carrots, and do not use pre-shredded. Using freshly grated carrots will make sure your cake is fresh and moist. Pre-shredded carrots are often dried out and lack the vibrant flavor of freshly grated ones.
- To speed up the process, you can also shred the carrots using a food processor. However, the food processor will leave bigger chunks of carrots that could be uneven. If you want to ensure finely and evenly shredded carrots, use a handheld grater.
- Be sure to remove excess moisture from the freshly grated carrots. They tend to retain water, which, if left in, could result in too much moisture and compromise the cake’s structure.
- If you leave it in, it will be too much water and the cake could lose its structure.
- If you are baking this as a cake, line all of your tins with parchment paper.
- The cake’s flavors deepen and improve over time! After a day or two of baking, the spices meld together even more.
- This recipe can be used to make cakes or cupcakes. The only difference is the bake times. 8-inch pans usually take around 30 minutes. Cupcakes take around 20 minutes. However, don’t rely on the time. Always test to make sure your cake is done and fully cooked.
Overview of Components:
- Biscoff Crumble
- Spiced Carrot Cake
- Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
- Garnished with Spiced Pecans, Biscoff Crumble, and salted caramel drizzle
Ingredients
One: Wet Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups Canola Oil
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (you can minimize to ½ cup if you want less sweet or are pairing with others)
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
Two: Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon allspice
Three: Carrots/ Other Wet Ingredients
- 2 ½ (around 3) cups grated carrots
- 1 cup chopped pecan nuts optional
- 1 cup Dole crushed pineapple not drained! {use the pineapple in JUICE, not syrup}
Instructions
- Optional: Toast pecans and other nuts you want to add in. Toast at 300 degrees for around 7-8 minutes. Let them cool for 10-15 minutes before adding them to the batter.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- When shredding the carrots, use a handheld grater or a food processor. Salt the shredded carrots very lightly. Pat the shredded carrots dry of the remaining moisture. I suggest using a clean kitchen towel instead of any sort of paper towel for this step.
- Combine your dry ingredients (#2). Sift everything into a large bowl. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves together.
- Combine the wet ingredients (#1). Whisk the brown sugar, sugar, oil, eggs, maple, and vanilla together in a large bowl until combined and no brown sugar lumps remain.
- Add #1 (wet) into #2 (dry). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold the ingredients together. Stop mixing when just combined.
- Stir in your add-ins (#3). Fold in the carrots and 1 cup of the toasted pecans or other add-ins like toasted coconut.
- Bake accordingly.*
- Let cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
- Before frosting, make sure your cake has cooled fully.
*If doing cupcakes:
- Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 20-22 minutes. Yields about 3 dozen.
- *TIP: To ensure even baking, rotate the cupcakes halfway through baking. Simply turn the baking sheet 180 degrees and flip it around 10 minutes into baking. This helps distribute heat evenly, ensuring perfectly baked cupcakes.
*If baking a cake:
- Bake for around 40 minutes for the 9×13 and 9-inch pans. For 8-in pans, the bake time is around 30 minutes.
How do I know my cake is done?
To check if your cake is done, you do the toothpick test. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the cake is done. However, I feel that the bounce-back test is more accurate. I take my finger and gently press the top. If your finger leaves an impression on the cake, then the cake is underdone and will need a few more minutes. If the cake bounces back and holds its shape, then it is done!
For the frosting, refer to my article, “Whipped to Perfection: Indulgent Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting”
Written by: Madison Butchko