Carrot cake is my all time favorite cake. It’s nostalgic for me. Growing up we had a carrot cake on my dad’s birthday every year. There was nothing special about it. My mom wold make a simple, no frills, cake and we would eat it after dinner. But the best part was that my parents would let us have a slice for breakfast the next day.

I’ve since created my own carrot cake recipe, adding in all of the extras that, in my opinion, make the cake. I like to add toasted walnuts, crushed pineapples, raisins and tons of spices. I sometimes add date paste if I have it or I’ll swap the walnuts out for pecans. You can make this cake your own so grab your favorite ingredients and get baking!

What is a Snack Cake?

Simply put, a snack cake is a cake baked in a shallow baking dish. No layers, no tiers, just cake and frosting. The cake is baked, frosted, sliced and stored in the dish.

What’s in this Carrot Cake Snack Cake?

Carrot Cake

1 ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (248g)
2 cups organic granulated sugar (397g)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon Selefina Spicy Baking Blend*
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups shredded carrots (326g), strained
1 cup walnut pieces (113g), toasted
½ cup raisins* (75g), rehydrated and strained
½ cup crushed pineapple (128g), strained

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (113g), softened
8 ounces cream cheese (227g), softened
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar (340g)
1 teaspoon heavy cream
⅛ teaspoon Selefina Ebony Carrot natural food color

*If not using the spicy baking blend, add 1 more teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger and ¼ teaspoons cloves.

*To rehydrate the raisins, soak them in hot water while you gather all of the other ingredients. Strain the water out before adding to the cake.

How to make the Carrot Cake Snack Cake

Carrot Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8×11-inch baking dish with butter, tallow or olive oil.
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sugar, salt, eggs and vanilla. Switch to a rubber spatula or wooden spoon and mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Fold in the shredded carrots, toasted walnuts, raisins and pineapple.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 45-55 minutes or until springy to touch a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat the the butter and cream cheese together in the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a handheld electric mixer, until smooth. Add in the salt, vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until you get a smooth frosting, scraping the bowl down as needed. Add the cream if the frosting is too thick.

Assembling the Cake

For a pink marbled look, scoop ¼ of the frosting into a bowl. In a small bowl, mix the ebony carrot color with ⅛ teaspoon water until dissolved. Mix it into the smaller amount of frosting until the color is fully incorporated.
When the cake is fully cooled, dollop the cream cheese frosting onto the cake, adding 2-3 dollops of white frosting to 1 dollop of pink. Spread the frosting using a small offset spatula until the cake is fully covered.
Let the cake chill for 20 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!