Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake on Easter is one of my favorite traditions. This carrot cake is in its purest form- no dried fruit or nuts and lots of cream cheese icing. The best part is that you get to eat cake for breakfast the next day.

For cake:
2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups avocado oil (or any neutral oil)
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 pound carrots, grated (use a box grater)

Frosting:
8 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Grease two 9x2 inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and grease and flour the pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, oil, and eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until light yellow and thickened. Stir in the vanilla. In another bowl, sift together the 2 cups of flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ones.

In a medium bowl, toss the carrots and the 1 tablespoon of flour. Stir into the batter with a rubber spatula. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 10 minutes, lower the heat to 350 degrees F, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, turn out onto a baking rack, and cool completely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the mascarpone, cream cheese, confectioners sugar, cream, and vanilla together for about 1 minute.

Place one cake on a flat serving plate, rounded-side down. Spread half the frosting on the top (not the sides). Place the second cake on top of the first one, rounded-side up. Frost just the top of the second cake.