Go Back
Crazy Good Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Olive Oil

Crazy Good Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Olive Oil

Im not a cake professional but my Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Extra Virgin Olive Oil is one of my favorite things to bake. Especially during the fall and winter months. Its crazy good! Topped with a vanilla bean, cream cheese frosting it is one of the best cakes you will ever make and eat.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 16 cake slices

Equipment

  • 2 9 inch Cake Pans or a 9x13 dish and or 2 12-well muffin pans
  • 2 Parchment Paper Rounds
  • 2 Mixing Bowls
  • 1 Measuring Cup Set
  • 1 Rubber Spatula
  • 1 Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
  • 1 Vegetable Peeler
  • 1 Offset Spatula
  • 1 Kitchen Shredder or Hand Shredder

Ingredients
  

Cake

  • 2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin spice seasoning
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 ¼ cup 100 % pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil and or coconut oil
  • 2 eggs room temperature.
  • 4 cups carrots peeled and shredded

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

  • ¾ cup softened butter salted or unsalted
  • 3 oz full fat cream cheese softened
  • 4 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
  • 5 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions
 

The Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Now line two 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pans so you can easily turn them out once they are baked and cooled.
  • Begin to make the batter by adding the flour, sugar, shredded coconut, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt to a large mixing bowl. Mix the ingredients together until combined.
  • Then add the olive oil, pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling), room temperature eggs and shredded carrots. Mix the ingredients until the last bit of flour disappears.
  • Pour the batter evenly into two, prepared 9 inch cake pans and bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes. If a toothpick is inserted and it comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs the cake is perfectly baked and ready to be removed from the oven.
  • Cool the cakes on a heat proof surface (I like placing mine on top of hot pads) in the pans and start making the frosting.

The Frosting:

  • Prepare the frosting by adding softened butter and cream cheese to a bowl and beat a few minutes until smooth with a hand mixer.
  • Then add a cup of powdered sugar at a time, mixing between each cup until smooth.
  • Add the heavy cream and vanilla bean paste and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. With a rubber spatula whip the frosting fast to release any extra air.

Assembly of the cake:

  • On a cake stand and a small dollop of frosting in the center and smooth out with an offset spatula. Turn a layer of cake directly onto the center. Then add about 3/4 cup of frosting to the cake layer and spread out evenly. Add the other cake on top and lightly frost the top and sides, reserving quite a bit of frosting. Place the cake into the refrigerator to set for 20 minutes. Remove and frost with the rest of the frosting. Slice and enjoy!

Storing:

  • Store leftovers by covering the cake with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to five days. You can also wrap individual slices and place them in an airtight container to refrigerate for 5 days or freeze for for up to 3 months. If you freeze the cake slices, in order to eat them, remove them from the freezer and allow them to come back to room temperature in the refrigerator overnight.

Notes

To make cupcakes: You will need two, 12-Well muffin pans to make 24 cupcakes and some unbleached cupcake liners. I love the tulip liners. They make the cupcakes look fancy without any effort. Make the batter as instructed. Then with a 4 oz cookie scoop, scoop the batter into 24 muffin wells. Or 8 tablespoons of batter per muffin well. Then bake in a 350 F preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick is inserted and comes out almost clean, with a few crumbs. Cool the cupcakes completely and then frost.
To Make in a 9x13 Dish: Grease and flour a good 9X13 pan. I only use USA Baking Pans. They always give me the best bake. Then make the batter as directed and pour into the pan. Bake the cake in a 350 F preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out mostly clean, with just a few crumbs. Cool the cake completely and frost. You can half the frosting recipe if you don't like your cake with a ton of frosting.
To Make a standard sheet pan: Grease and flour a good sheet pan. Again I use my USA sheet pan for an even bake and easy release. Make the batter as directed. Then pour the batter evenly into the pan and bake in a 350 F preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick is inserted and comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs. Cool the cake completely and frost.
Ingredient Variations: Instead of pumpkin puree use sweet potato puree. Feel free to add in a cup of chopped nuts instead of shredded coconut to the batter before baking. You could also use some to decorate the finished cake. Try spicing the frosting up by adding a tablespoon of pumpkin spice to the cream cheese frosting or a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Or poke holes into the warm cake and drizzle a can of caramel sauce over the top, cool, refrigerate and top with whipped cream and toffee bits. You could also serve it plain with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.