Carrot Birthday Cake with Maple Frosting

This is truly a celebration carrot cake, super moist, super flavorful and a total crowd-pleaser! Bake it in layers, fill and frost with cream cheese frosting with a splash of maple syrup and watch everyone smile as they eat. It's freezer-friendly, of course!

Another month, another birthday cake! Last month I started what I intend will be a monthly thing in this blog: to bake birthday cakes for my friends – hopefully. layered and frosted because occasions to do so are scarce and I kinda like them.

It’s like playing in cake land, trying to make towering layers, all frosted and filled, some rusticity in the decoration, because it is me, after all, and you all know I don’t have the patience for a neat stack of perfect layers and inches of frosting, each measured to give the optical illusion of, well, a perfect cake. 

And if you didn’t know that about me because you’re new to this blog, open any cake recipe in the index and you’re bound to bump into an explanation similar to this one. I’m so predictable sometimes.

So we need flavor. When the dress is not nice you need the brains.

Main ingredients

Carrots - you can peel them or not. And I recommend grating them with a large-holed grater and at the last moment. That way they retain the moisture better.

Apple - I use Granny Smith (green ones) usually, but any baking apple works well. 

Spices - adjust to your preference or to what you have available. 

Cream Cheese frosting

It's the perfect one for carrot cake. Period. 

So that's what we filled and frosted it with. It's so easy to make, keeps for weeks in the fridge and we all love it!

But we added some maple syrup as the liquid part. OMG, it's unreal how good it is. It has a smoky undertone that is out of this world. 

And this carrot cake recipe delivers it. It’s hands down my favorite one, full of spices and moist as a baby’s pacifier. Make it any shape you want – in a tube pan, layers, cupcakes, loaves – it’s very adaptable.

My list this month is led by one of the most generous blogger friends I know, Renee of Magnolia Days and Heather of Girlichef, and I thought these flavors matched them.

Storing

Keep the layers refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen for a month, well wrapped of course. 

It's always a good idea to fill and frost layers that are cold. It's easier and there's less chance of the cake falling or breaking. 

Final cake: keep in the refrigerator, well covered.

Pair it with cream cheese frosting and you have one of the best cakes outside the ones with dulce de leche, my favorites of all times. Add maple syrup to the frosting, the real stuff that I told you about when I made the pumpkin cheesecake, and this birthday just got better.

Other recipes you might like:
Simple Carrot Cake Recipe
Zucchini Pineapple Bread
Apple Walnut Loaf
Banana Bundt Cake
Roasted Banana Bread

I posted a Guide to Freezing Baked Goods & Dessert which might come in handy. We all prep and freeze savory food, but what about our sweet tooth? This post covers that.

Let me know if you make this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think about it. Thank you for being here, I appreciate it! Let’s connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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Carrot Birthday Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

• Author: Paula Montenegro
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 35
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Cakes
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

For the carrot cake:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1/2 cups 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs (room tº)
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ cup milk
• ¼ cup water
• 1 1/2 cups peeled (grated carrots (about 6oz))
• 1 apple (peeled, cored, and diced small)
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream

For the maple cream cheese frosting:

• 1 packages (8oz cream cheese, softened)
• 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 3 Tbs maple syrup
• 3 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar (or as needed)
• 1 cup whole walnuts (toasted, for filling and decoration)
• Maple syrup

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Instructions

For the carrot cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Butter and flour (or spray) a 7-inch cake pan with removable
2. bottom.
3. Sift flour, baking powder and soda, and spices into a bowl and reserve.
4. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter for 1 minute. Gradually add both sugar beating continuously, for 3 or 4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix.
6. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with water and milk in 2 additions. Do not over mix.
7. Add carrots, apple and cream and mix just until combined.
8. Fill cake pan with the batter, smooth top and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until tester inserted in center comes out clean. It might take more depending on the pan.
9. Let cool completely on wire rack and then unmold.

For the maple cream cheese frosting:

1. In a bowl beat cream cheese and butter until very smooth.
2. Add 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, ½ cup at a time, and beat until smooth. Add maple syrup, and then add more sugar until you have a thick mixture good to frost.

To assemble:

1. Cut cake into three layers. Reserve 8 walnut halves for decoration.
2. Put the first layer on the cake stand or serving platter, and fill with about a cup of cream cheese frosting. Add a handful of coarsely broken walnuts, and a big drizzle of maple syrup.
3. Repeat with the second layer, the frosting, walnuts and syrup.
4. Add the top layer and frost with a layer of cream cheese mixture. Make a swirl on top and decorate the sides with 8 half walnuts, one for each slice.
5. Serve with extra maple syrup.

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Notes

Carrots - you can peel them or not. And I recommend grating them with a large-holed grater and at the last moment. That way they retain the moisture better.

Apple - I use Granny Smith (green ones) usually, but any baking apple works well.

Spices - adjust to your preference or to what you have available.

Storing

Keep the layers refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen for a month, well wrapped of course. It's always a good idea to fill and frost layers that are cold. It's easier and there's less chance of the cake falling or breaking. Final cake: keep in the refrigerator, well covered.

Keywords: carrot layer cake, carrot birthday cake

 Adapted from The Buttercup Bakeshop, by Jennifer Appel

Paula Montenegro

I'm Paula, a baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe finder, sharing the best ones on this blog, with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.