Benny’s Carrot Cake {Recipe}

Happy National Carrot Cake Day! Carrot cake is one of my favorite non-chocolate desserts. This picture above of the carrot cake from Benny’s Chop House in Chicago looks amazing. Don’t worry though, I’m not going to just tease you with this tasty image….I was sent the recipe to share with you all so that you can make this carrot cake yourself! Yum!

Created by Pastry Chef Aaron Lindgren, Benny’s Carrot Cake is made from a traditional recipe first conceived by Chef Lindgren’s mother, Leigh Ann. “Using the highest quality ingredients with chunks of crushed pineapple and spices like clove, allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg, the cake is rich and moist but not too sweet. My recipes are all less sweet than most,” Lindgren said. “The cream cheese frosting has 40 percent less sugar than traditional recipes, and with the addition of fresh Tahitian vanilla bean, citrus zest, butter and cream cheese, the end result is a very tasty dessert that’s smooth, luscious and satisfying.”

Carrot Cake by Pastry Chef Aaron Lindgren

 Cake

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅔ cup cooking oil
• 2 eggs
• 1¼ cup grated raw carrots
• ½ cup crushed pineapple (drain syrup)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream cheese frosting

• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 fresh vanilla bean (scraped)
• Pinch of salt
• 2½ cups sifted powdered sugar
• ½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixer bowl.
2. Add oil, eggs, carrot, pineapple and vanilla; beat with a whisk until there are no lumps.
3. Pour batter into greased 9″ x 9″ x 2″ baking pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees about 35 minutes, until top springs back when touched.
5. For frosting, cream together cream cheese and butter; beat in vanilla extract, fresh vanilla and salt.
6. Gradually add powdered sugar; beat until light and fluffy.
7. Once cake has cooled completely, spread frosting with spatula.
8. Garnish with toasted walnuts and serve at room temperature.

**Remember…if you don’t feel like making your own carrot cake you can go to Benny’s Chop House and eat one someone else made :) That’s the way I like to do it!

(Disclosure: I received this recipe from Benny’s Chop House but I was not compensated for posting it.)