Out of this World Carrot Cake Recipe with Callie's Cream Cheese Frosting (2024)

FAQs

Does carrot cake with cream cheese frosting need to be refrigerated? ›

Due to the cream cheese in the frosting which has a high moisture content, this cake needs to be refrigerated. The good news is that since the cake layers are made with oil (not butter), they will remain soft even when cold. Cover the cake well and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Desserts with cream cheese frosting are some of the most decadent out there. From carrot cake to pumpkin bars to red velvet cake, these treats are absolute classics. So grab a few bricks of cream cheese, plenty of confectioners' sugar and get ready to bake!

Vegetable oil produces a more moist, tender cake than butter. Yes, butter generally tastes better, but it makes the cake come out a little firmer than I like. Don't worry—there's plenty of butter in the frosting to make up for it. Should carrot cake have raisins?

While the addition of butter and powdered sugar does help to stabilize it, cream cheese frosting should only be left out at room temperature for two hours before it needs to be put in the fridge.

From Paula's Pumpkin Bars to Giada's Spiced Apple-Walnut Cake With Cream Cheese Icing to the classic Red Velvet Cake, it's hard to escape cream cheese frosting's creamy goodness. So does it need refrigeration? Food Network Kitchens: Yes, you should always refrigerate any cake or cupcake that has cream cheese frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

Buttercream frostings rely on the main ingredient of butter and will be the most common type of frosting you will find in a bakery.

An equal ratio of butter to cream cheese yields a super smooth, spreadable frosting, while still maintaining the distinctive tangy flavor.

At room temperature, cream cheese frosting only lasts two hours, which is why it needs to be refrigerated if you don't want to waste leftovers. Cream cheese frosting will usually last in the refrigerator for up to a week, which gives you plenty of time to use it on various baked goods.

Butter also gives them flavor. But for cakes like chocolate cake and carrot cake that have flavor from other ingredients, I find flavorless oil is the best choice.

Think thin

It's true that carrots are the star of the show, but aim for finely grated pieces rather than chunky. The finer you grate the carrots, the more evenly they will be distributed throughout the cake (for the perfect texture), and the more evenly the cake and the carrots will bake.

Why do carrots turn black in carrot cake? ›

Carrots contain pigments that are sensitive to changes in pH balance. When the shreds of carrot come into contact with the alkaline baking soda, a chemical reaction takes place that causes the pigments to change color.

Don't panic if your cream cheese frosting is too runny, use an electric whisk to whip it up for a few more minutes until it starts to thicken.

No lumps in cream cheese.

While you can over-whip the frosting after you add the heavy cream, you cannot over-mix the 1st 3 ingredients in the recipe. Beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract together for as long as you need to rid all of the cream cheese lumps.

And in the supermarket baking aisle, Duncan Hines Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting is the best on the shelf. It should be noted that, being a shelf-stable frosting, Duncan Hines Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting does not contain any cream cheese; instead, it uses flavorings and additives to (sorta) replicate its flavor.

Cream cheese frosting should always be stored in the refrigerator. Cream cheese is a perishable food, and per FoodSafety.gov, perishable foods should not sit in room temperatures for longer than two hours.

If you do have cake on the table for entertaining, follow the two-hour rule to keep it fresh and safe to eat. With these simple guidelines, you'll never have to toss any cake in the trash because you're not sure if it's spoiled. And you'll always cut crisp, perfect slices.

So there's your answer. You can leave a cake with cream cheese frosting out over night–the sugar will help preserve it–but if your kitchen is too hot, don't take the risk. Stick it in the fridge!

Storing an iced carrot cake – If your carrot cake has been iced and decorated with cream cheese frosting, store it in the refrigerator. If left at room temperature, your cream cheese frosting will melt and fall off the cake. If your cake is uncut, it can be stored in the refrigerator, uncovered, for about a week.