The BEST Carrot Cake

This classic carrot cake recipe is moist, perfectly-spiced and made with lots of fresh carrots and a cream cheese frosting.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or vegetable oil, or any mild-flavored oil)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 pound finely-grated* fresh carrots
• (optional: 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts and/or 1/2 cup raisins)
• CREAM CHEESE FROSTING INGREDIENTS:
• 3 (8-ounce) bricks cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups powdered sugar (or more, if needed to thicken)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Or alternately, you can use two 9-inch round baking pans. (Just be sure that every square inch of the pans greased and coated in flour so that the cake does not stick!)
2. In the bowl of a large stand mixer, mix together oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined and smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, and mix until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and cloves) until combined. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the mixing bowl, and beat on medium-speed until just combined, scraping down the pan at least once to be sure that everything is well mixed. Then fold in the grated carrots by hand, and stir until combined. If you would like to add nuts and/or raisins, stir them in at this time as well.

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