Carrot Cake with Chai Spice Frosting features layers of tender, moist carrot cake and velvety chai spiced cream cheese frosting topped with toasted pecans. Elevate this classic cake to new heights with the addition of warm, aromatic chai spices. It's a crowd-pleasing recipe for any occasion!
Mix wet ingredients - In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and eggs and whisk until well blended.
½ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 cup vegetable oil
Mix wet and dry ingredients - Slowly stir in the dry ingredients in two parts using a silicone spatula, just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Don’t overmix. Using a spatula, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are incorporated. Stir in carrots and 1 cup toasted pecans.
½ cup greek yogurt or sour cream
Bake - Split the batter in two and pour in each of the cake pans. Place the cake pans on the same rack in the oven and cook for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan for 10-15 min, run a knife around the edges of the cake, and flip onto a cooling rack until completely cooled.
Make frosting - While the cake is baking, make the frosting. First, whisk all of the spices together in a bowl. Then, whip the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, salt, and spices to the frosting and whip on high for 15 seconds. Put the frosting in the fridge until the cake is ready to frost.
3 cups carrots, 1 cup toasted pecans, 16 oz cream cheese, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, 1 cup butter
Frost the cake - To make the cakes easier to frost, chill them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Once the cakes are completely cooled, place the first layer on a cake stand, frost the top, then place the other cake layer upside down on top of the frosting. Frost the top of the cake and smooth with an offset spatula. Frost all around the cake until smooth. Garnish the top of the cake with additional toasted pecans.
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Notes
Baking Tips
Don't over-mix ingredients to ensure the cake bakes evenly and has a light texture.
Bake on the middle rack to ensure even baking.
Cool down the cake a little before adding the frosting so the frosting won't melt and get runny. You can make the cakes even easier to frost by chilling them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Use a turntable to spin the cake for easy frosting application.
Use a food processor to quickly grate the carrots.
Storage
This easy carrot cake will last up to 4 days covered at room temperature. Whenever we bake this cake, we store it in our favorite marble and glass cloche. You can also gift half the cake to friends if you don't think you can finish it in time.