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dan's mile high birthday carrot cake

(1 rating)
cookinginillinois avatar
Recipe by
Rose Mary Mogan
@cookinginillinois
Sauk Village, IL

My husband had a recent birthday, and asked me to surprise him with a dessert for his birthday that I had never made. So knowing that he loves carrot cake, I CREATED this special recipe for his big day. It is a 4 layer cake with nuts and pineapple, with a Fall Themed Cream Cheese Frosting using Instant Pumpkin Pie Spice Pudding mix with Greek Yogurt Butter, Heavy Whipping Cream & Vanilla Bean Paste, garnished with nuts and Candy Corns. It is moist tasty delicious and full of nuts & flavor. Quite impressive if you ask me. My SPECIAL DESSERT BIRTHDAY CREATION for my hard working Husband.

(1 rating)
yield 16 or more depending on portion size
prep time 45 Min
cook time 35 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For dan's mile high birthday carrot cake

  • 6 lg
    eggs, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 c
    sugar
  • 1 1/2 c
    light brown sugar
  • 2 1/4 c
    canola oil
  • 4 c
    white lily all purpose flour (or cake flour)
  • 1 Tbsp
    cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp
    nutmeg
  • 2 tsp
    baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp
    baking powder
  • 1 tsp
    kosher salt
  • 11/2 Tbsp
    vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 3 c
    grated carrots lightly packed
  • 1 can
    20 oz. crushed pineapples undrained
  • 2 1/2 c
    nuts of your choice (i used black walnuts)
  • 1/2 c
    candy corn & chopped nuts as garnish (optional)
  • PUMPKIN SPICE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
  • 2 box
    pumpkin pie spice instant pudding mix (3.4 oz.)
  • 2 pkg
    softened cream cheese (1 lb)
  • 1/2 lb
    greek yogurt butter or regular
  • 2 lb
    powdered sugar(confectioners sugar)
  • 1 tsp
    nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp
    vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 1/2 to 3/4 c
    heavy whipping cream

How To Make dan's mile high birthday carrot cake

  • 1
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. GREASE AND FLOUR 4 (9 INCH) ROUND OR SQUARE CAKE PANS. I chose to use Bakers Joy cooking spray that has flour in the spray.
  • 2
    Using a medium size bowl, add a sifter or strainer over the bowl. Then add the flour, cinnamon nutmeg, baking soda, & baking powder . Sift and set aside till needed. Add kosher salt, mine did not go through strainer, stir in to blend with other ingredients. NOTE SIFTING MAKES THE CAKE LIGHTER. SET ASIDE TILL NEEDED.
  • 3
    Grate carrots then measure out 3 cups and set aside till needed.
  • 4
    Add the eggs to mixing bowl and beat till blended together.
  • 5
    Then add both sugars, and oil and beat till blended together.
  • 6
    Now add in the flour mixture in 3 intervals beating well after each addition. Then add in the vanilla Bean paste or extract, and beat till blended.
  • 7
    Add the grated carrots, undrained crushed pineapples, and nuts, and stir till blended.
  • 8
    Divide and pour batter evenly among the 4 cake pans. Bake in preheated 350 degree F. oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Or cake begins to pull away from sides of pan.
  • 9
    Cool in pan about 5 minutes or so, then invert cakes onto cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
  • 10
    While cakes are cooling prepare cake frosting by adding the softened butter and cream cheese to large bowl, then beat well till mixed together. Now add in the pudding mix and about half of the powdered sugar, and slowly begin to blend together, then gradually add in the remaining powdered sugar alternately with heavy whipping cream a little at a time, add in the vanilla bean paste, and nutmeg, and stir till completely blended and creamy, or desired spreading consistency is reached. Add more whipping cream if a creamier spreading consistency is needed.
  • My husbands 4 layer Special Creation Carrot Cake for his Birthday. Garnished with Black Walnuts and Caramel Corn Candy.
    11
    Garnish if desired with your choice of garnish, I used candy corns and chopped nuts.
  • 12
    Slice and enjoy. This slice was so big that my husband and I shared it together.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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