Farmer's Carrot Cake gets its richness and moisture from real, simple ingredients - sweet carrots, golden raisins, and chopped walnuts. A sheet cake makes this classic dessert accessible to eat and decorate. Coconut sugar replaces refined sugar in the cake for a richer flavor and golden color, making it sweet but not overly so.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9 by 13-inch metal cake pan with parchment paper, leaving the ends hanging over the edges of the pan.
Cream the sugar with the butter in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until smooth. Add remaining wet ingredients and mix until emulsified.
Add the dry ingredients and mix briefly. You don't want to see dry flour at this point, but you also want to avoid developing the gluten - hence the "don't over-mix" phrase.
Fold in carrots, raisins, and walnuts to distribute evenly. Pour into cake pan and tap on the counter to release air pockets. Bake 40 minutes until the cake is deeply golden, springs back to the touch, and a toothpick comes out crumb free.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Mix all the cream cheese frosting ingredients in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment for several minutes until very smooth and lump free. Apply the frosting to the carrot cake after it is cool in gobs. Spread gently with a flat spatula. Serve fresh and refrigerate leftover cake, covered for up to 5 days.
Notes
While I tried to make this carrot cake as healthy as possible using unrefined sugar and coconut oil, you may easily substitute granulated sugar or canola oil in this recipe. All measurements are exact, so for best results, level the flour, carrot, and sugar.This recipe has not been tested in circular cake pans. To use round cake pans, you should check the cake earlier. I suggest setting the timer for 30 minutes to test the center of the cake with a toothpick.