Spring is near and I couldn’t be more ecstatic. I anticipate every season with so much excitement because of all the different seasonal produce. It has also been getting a little warmer and sunnier here, so it’s basically spring already. Cue the carrot cake. This Coconut Carrot Cake With Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting is a DREAM!
This cake is loaded with coconut, pecans, finely grated carrots and a bunch of warm spices. The frosting is the best addition to the cake. Cream cheese frosting is delicious, but caramel cream cheese frosting is a DREAM! the flavor is out of this world, it’s tangy, sweet & warm. It is the best combination. The best carrot cake ever!
How to make Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
- Melt butter on low heat. Once melted, add in in brown sugar and warm heavy cream. Continuously stir until the sugar is dissolved. Allow it to cook for 2-3 more minutes on low heat. The mixture will start to bubble and slightly thicken. Do not stir at this point. Remove from heat to cool. to the bowl of a stand mixer. Let it cool for a few minutes.
- Add in the caramel to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a paddle attachment mix in softened cream cheese, vanilla & blend until incorporated. Add in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
I’m not a big fan of raisins in my carrot cake, but coconuts? YES! walnuts? YES! I love the bits of chewy coconut & walnut throughout. It gives this cake the best texture! I don’t recommend using pre-shredded carrrots. They tend to be dry. It’s an extra step but I like to finely grate whole peeled carrots.
The combination of the warm spices like, cinnamon, ginger & nutmeg really gives the carrot cake its bold and warm flavor that makes it so addicting. It really is the BEST. If i’m out of nutmeg or ginger, i’ve sometimes used pumpkin pie spice in place of. There’s all the right spice for carrot cake in there
Different options for add-ins
- Pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, pineapple, raisins,
I bake this in a 8 inch square pan and get 9 perfectly sized slices. You can also use a 8 or 9 inch round pan.
Coconut Carrot Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 9 inch square pan
- Mixing bowl
- small saucepan
- Whisk
- Stand mixer or handheld mixer
- Offset Spatula
Ingredients
Coconut Carrot Cake
- 1⅓ cups All purpose flour spooned & leveled
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ¼ cup butter softened
- ¼ cup coconut oil or any neutral oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup coconut milk unsweetened
- 1½ cups finely grated carrots
- ½ cup shredded coconut sweetened
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, hazelnuts, etc.
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting Frosting
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar or light
- 4 tbsp salted butter or unsalted
- 2 tbsp heavy cream warmed up
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½-2 cup powdered sugar
- 4 oz cream cheese softened to room temp
- 1 tsp salt omit if using salted butter
Instructions
Coconut Carrot Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°
- In a large bowl add the butter, sugars, oil, vanilla, eggs & buttermilk. Whisk to combine.
- Next, add in the flour, spices, salt, baking powder, baking soda. Whisk until there are no dry pockets of flour left.
- Lastly fold in your carrots, coconut and walnuts. Pour into a 8 inch square pan lined with parchment and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center is set. Allow the cake to cool before frosting. Slice and devour!
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
- Melt the butter on low heat. Once melted, add in in the brown sugar and warm heavy cream. Continuously stir until the sugar is dissolved. Allow it to cook for 2-3 minutes. The mixture will start to bubble and slightly thicken. Do not stir at this point. Remove from heat and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Once slightly cooled, add in the vanilla & softened cream cheese and mix on low for 1-2 minutes until well blended. Next, add in the powdered sugar & salt. Blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
Notes
- Allow the “caramel” to cool before adding the rest of the frosting ingredients. Otherwise it will melt the cream cheese & the frosting will be thin.
- I always recommend fresh whole peeled carrots and grating them yourself instead of the pre-shredded ones.
