Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Servings: 24
Yield: 24 servings

Description

This moist carrot cake with fluffy cream cheese frosting and chopped pecans is easy to make at home for a delicious dessert at Easter or any occasion.

Ingredients

3 cups grated carrots
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 (8 ounce) package Neufchatel cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan.
2 Combine grated carrots, flour, white sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl; stir in eggs, oil, 1 ¼  teaspoons vanilla, pineapple, and ¾ cup chopped pecans. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
3 Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 to 40 minutes. Let cake cool.
4 To make the frosting: Combine confectioners' sugar, Neufchatel cheese, ½ cup butter and 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla in a medium bowl; beat until smooth. Fold in 1 cup chopped pecans. Spread frosting on cooled cake.