“This was one of my childhood favorites! It’s my Grandma’s carrot cake recipe with cream cheese icing. We used to make them in little loaf pans for maximum icing coverage!” — Pastry Chef Marina Sousa
This classic carrot cake has all the charm of home baking — tender, moist, and delicately spiced, with a luscious layer of tangy cream cheese icing. The recipe, passed down from Marina Sousa’s grandmother, is a true family treasure. Whether baked as a single cake or in small loaves, it’s a dessert that evokes the warmth of childhood kitchens and the joy of baking from the heart.
INGREDIENTS:
Cake
3 cups grated carrots
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups Crisco vegetable oil
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Icing
1/2 cup butter
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 lb. powdered sugar
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan (or six small loaf pans).
In a large mixing bowl, combine grated carrots, eggs, sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat until smooth and well blended. Add baking soda, salt, flour, cinnamon, vanilla, and walnuts. Mix just until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and bake for about 55 minutes (or 40 minutes for mini loaves), until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
Cream Cheese Icing
In a large bowl, beat together butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
Spread evenly over cooled cake or loaves.
SOURCE: Recipe submitted by Pastry Chef Marina Sousa
