It’s been at least a decade since I made this cake. I got the original recipe from The Kitchn, and that old printed copy on has been folded up and used as a bookmark in my cookbooks for these past 10 years.
I think any lover of carrot cakes will appreciate this one. It packs a veggie punch with a mix of grated carrots, beets, zucchini, and apple*. Add a dash of cinnamon, then a swirl of lemon cream cheese frosting, and you have an indulgent fall treat.
*The original recipe had twice as much carrots and no apples.
Harvest Cake
- 1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup grated carrots
- 1/2 cup grated apple
- 1/2 cup grated zucchini
- 1/2 cup finely grated beets
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Butter and flour two 8 inch cake pans. Preheat the oven to 350F.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Gently stir in the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the grated vegetables. Stir in the walnuts.
Divide the batter equally between the two pans. Bake for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely on a wire rack.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
This is another area where I’ve diverted from the original recipe which called for a goat cheese frosting. My house is a big fan of this lemon cream cheese frosting. It’s delicious.
- 8oz cream cheese @ room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter @ room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Cream together the butter and cream cheese until well blended. Slowly whisk in the powdered sugar. Add the lemon juice until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
Frost the cooled cake, and enjoy!
