Spiced Carrot Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

A gently spiced cake to celebrate spring, a special person in your life, or a Tuesday afternoon!

For the Cake:

1 3/4 cup flour (gf works too)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly gated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup honey

3/4 cup melted coconut oil

3 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

5 cups finely shredded carrots

3/4 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup shredded coconut

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease two 9” cake pans with coconut oil, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then add your shredded carrot into the dry ingredients and thoroughly combine. Meanwhile in a medium mixing bowl whisk together coconut oil, honey and vanilla. Gently whisk in eggs one at a time until just combined. Pour wet ingredients over dry mix, and gently fold together until almost fully incorporated. Then add pecans and coconut, and finish folding your batter until completely combined.

Divide your batter between your two cake pans, bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked through the center. Allow your cake to cool for at least an hour, until thoroughly cool to the touch. Meanwhile, make your frosting!

For the Frosting:

8oz cream cheese, at room temp

2 sticks butter, at room temp
1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

big pinch of salt

Handful of edible flowers (optional)

……….

In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or a large mixing bowl with an electric whisk combine all of your ingredients. Whisk together on medium-high for 2-4 minutes until completely smooth and velvety.

Spread approx. 1 cup of frosting on top of your first cake round, and spread to within about an inch from the edge of the round. Top your first round with your second cake round, with the bottom of the round as the top of the cake. Spread a very thin layer of frosting around the sides of the cake, and use the remaining frosting to create a thick layer of frosting on top. Sprinkle your edible flowers on top (if using) and enjoy!