WHIPPED ICING ON AN EASY CARROT CAKE

For those of you who adore carrot cake but don’t want to spend the time and effort making a layer cake, this cake is ideal. Since this cake is quick, easy, and little, there won’t be a lot of leftovers. This delicious spice cake is fantastic with the whipped frosting. Enjoy!

Cake Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup and 5 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 eggs, at room temperature
2/3 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup raisins
2/4 cup chopped walnuts, plus more for toasting and topping
2/3 pound carrots, grated
1/3 cup diced fresh pineapple

Whipped Icing Ingredients:
1 cup milk
5 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (not powdered sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup butter, at room temperature

Directions:

Produce the cake: Set an 8-inch square baking sheet on a parchment paper sling and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. The sugar, oil, and eggs should be combined and beaten till pale yellow in a big basin. Add the vanilla and mix. Mix 1 2/3 cups flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a separate dish. Combine the dry components with the liquid ones. Fold the carrots, pineapple, and remaining 1 tablespoon of flour into the dough before adding the raisins and walnuts. A toothpick put into the center of the cake should come out with only a few wet crumbs on it after 40 to 45 minutes of baking. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Let the cake finish cooling.

Creating the icing While continually whisking, warm the milk, flour, and granulated sugar together over medium heat. Once it begins to boil, keep stirring and heating it for about 7 minutes, or until it reaches a very thick consistency, similar to cake batter. Add the vanilla essence after removing the liquid from the heat. Place the mixture in a shallow pan and allow it to completely cool (after a bit, I stuck mine in the fridge to hurry it along). Once the mixture has totally cooled, soften and frothy the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Add the fully cooled ingredients and whisk vigorously until you get firm whipped cream-like fluffy frosting (this takes several minutes, so be patient). Use a thick layer of frosting to cover your thoroughly cooled cake; you’ll probably use around 3/4 of the icing. Add roasted walnuts on top. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container, but let them out for 30 minutes before serving so the icing may soften.