Garden Patch Carrot Cake Recipe
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Description: 🥕🎂 I made this cake for a going away party for some neighbors and good friends. It is a very unusual cake as it contains not only carrots, but also zucchini, and even baby food beets. Everyone, even the children really enjoyed this cake and they never knew the cake contained such peculiar ingredients. I found the original version of this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine and this is my adaptation (I added the baby foods in particular). You may simply ice the cake with the cream cheese frosting and serve, or if you know how to use decorating tips, decorate this like a vegetable garden using tinted decorator’s icing. Prep time is really a guess – I use a food processor to grate my veggies. There is also cooling time between baking and icing. Plan on quite a bit more prep time if you plan to decorate the cake as well. This cake makes 12 large servings or 24 party size smaller slices.
Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Canola oil | 1 cup |
| Eggs | 3 |
| Granulated sugar | 1 1/2 cups |
| Vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon |
| All-purpose flour | 2 cups |
| Baking powder | 2 teaspoons |
| Ground cinnamon | 2 teaspoons |
| Salt | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Raw carrot (grated) | 1/2 cup |
| Zucchini (grated) | 2 cups |
| Chocolate chips | 1 cup |
| Light cream cheese | 1 package (8 ounces) |
| Sweet unsalted butter | 1/2 cup |
| Vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon |
| Powdered sugar | 4 1/2 cups |
Instructions:
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In a large mixing bowl, beat together canola oil, eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until well combined.
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In another bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt.
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Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix well until smooth.
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Stir in baby foods (beets and any other desired flavor) and grated vegetables (carrot and zucchini).
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Add chocolate chips and mix together until evenly distributed.
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Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9×13-inch baking pan.
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Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
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Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing it to cool completely on a wire rack.
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Make sure the cake is completely cooled before icing.
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To prepare the cream cheese frosting, combine light cream cheese, sweet unsalted butter, and vanilla extract using an electric mixer until smooth.
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Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until smooth and creamy. Adjust the amount of powdered sugar to achieve the desired consistency.
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Ice the cooled cake with the cream cheese frosting, covering it evenly.
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Cover the frosted cake with plastic wrap, using toothpicks poked in several spots atop the cake to keep the plastic from touching the frosting.
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Refrigerate the cake once iced. You may let it come to room temperature before serving, but store leftovers in the fridge.
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If desired, garnish the cake with candy made to look like little vegetables and some chopped nuts or grated coconut, or simply leave it plain.
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Note: If you plan to decorate the cake, ice it first with the cream cheese frosting and let it chill. Then, use purchased or homemade decorator’s white frosting and tint some green to make grass, some orange to make pumpkins or carrots, etc. Use decorating tips to design the cake surface like a vegetable garden or as desired with the tinted frosting.
Enjoy this delightful Garden Patch Carrot Cake with its unique blend of vegetables and sweet flavors, perfect for any occasion! 🥕🍰
