Mollys Carrot Cake With Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting Food

CARROT CAKE BAKED OATMEAL

Steps:

• For the cream cheese topping: Combine the cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. Mix well until smooth. Set aside.
• For the carrot cake baked oatmeal: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the oats and pecans in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Cook and toss until the oats and pecans are lightly toasted and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly while the oven preheats.
• To the skillet with the oats and pecans, add the carrots, raisins, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and 1/2 cup brown sugar and toss to combine. In a large spouted measuring cup, combine the milk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Pour over the oat mixture. Stir and toss to combine well, making sure all of the oats are evenly distributed in the egg mixture.
• Sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Dollop dots of the cream cheese topping over the surface of the oatmeal. Bake until the oatmeal is set and slightly puffed and the top is golden and caramelized, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Coat three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper; coat the parchment with more cooking spray. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, then roughly chop 1 1/2 cups walnuts and finely chop 1 1/2 cups. Set aside the finely chopped nuts for topping.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the vegetable oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just combined. With the mixer on medium-low speed, beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk, until combined. Stir in the vanilla. Gently fold in the carrots, raisins and roughly chopped walnuts with a rubber spatula.
• Divide the batter among the cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 20 minutes in the pans. Remove the cakes from the pans, remove the parchment and let cool completely on the racks.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Beat the butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
• Place one cake layer on a platter or cake stand and spread 1 cup frosting on top. Add another cake layer, spread with another 1 cup frosting and then add the last cake layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with a very thin layer of frosting (this is the crumb coat). Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting, then carefully press the finely chopped walnuts into the sides.