Let's just start off by saying that I'm a carrot cake hound. I seriously can sniff out a carrot cake a mile away. And while I'm spilling the beans on my sniffer, it's also important to say that there is a HUGE difference between a carrot cake and a spice cake, plain and simple.
They are not the same. They don't taste the same. They don't look the same. And my tastebuds will know the difference every single time. Moral of the story? Make certain that you're making a carrot cake and not a spice cake if you're wanting a true carrot cake flavor.
Okay, enough of my rant...let's get back to the cake business.
When it comes to finding new ways to make a cake, don't overlook the power of your crockpot. It has the perfect slow setting to make a moist and glorious cake. Trust me on this one - it seriously won't let you down.
Crock Pot Carrot Cake with Caramel Frosting
Carrot cake is a flavor unlike any other cake. I love the hints of nuttiness that come through and I love that it actually has bits of real carrots in it as well. That totally counts as a veggie, right?
And even though this carrot cake recipe might be made from a boxed cake mix, you'll still enjoy that classic carrot cake recipe as well.
I love to make this up for dinner and then treat myself later to a midnight snack. There's nothing like sitting in silence at the end of a long day with just you and a delicious piece of carrot cake.
This semi-homemade slow cooker carrot cake is perfect for that late night snack I just mentioned, a birthday, potlucks, or holiday get-togethers. Its classic flavor is one that everyone loves, and it pairs well with any event or holiday season. It's the ultimate cake!
Slow Cooker Carrot Cake Ingredients
The great part about whipping up this slow cooker carrot cake is that its crazy simple to do. All you need is to gather up the simple ingredients below to get started.
Outside of the cake mix and Starbucks coffee, you'll almost certainly have all the ingredients you need to make this cake on hand. When looking at this ingredient list, bear in mind that these ingredients are for the cake AND the frosting!
- Duncan Hines Moist Supreme
- Oil
- Water
- Eggs
- Cream Cheese
- Butter
- Starbucks Caramel Dolce Coffee
- Powdered Sugar
See? This is a handful of ingredients at most. This recipe is so simple anyone can make it and make it fast. It's a recipe that's so quick and easy, it's always the right choice.
Crock Pot Carrot Cake Tips
This slow cooker carrot cake is an incredibly easy recipe to make, but there are a few things to remember about it. Cock pot carrot cake is made, well, in a Crock Pot, so you want to be careful that the cake doesn't stick to the sides of the crock.
You want an EASY recipe, not a difficult cleanup. You'll also need to cool the cake before frosting it. That's actually a lot easier than you might think!
Keeping the Cake from Sticking to the Crock Pot
You're going to want to be certain that you spray the inside of your crockpot with cooking spray. This will keep as much as your cake edible rather than stuck on the sides. Remember, when using cooking spray, the idea is not to use too much or too little.
Don't spray so much that you have rivulets of spray running down the interior, but at the same, time you must ensure that the surface is thoroughly covered. Approach using the spray like using spray paint. Smooth, even passes across the entire surface of the Crock Pot interior are the way to go.
There are also crockpot inserters that you can buy and use as well that do a great job of making clean-up a breeze!
Just Walk Away
This simple cake recipe takes 2 hours to bake. At first, you might think to yourself, "That seems like a long time to bake." That might be followed by, "I hope I don't have to keep checking it."
Remember, this is a Crock Pot recipe. Once you add in the ingredients, you get to walk away and not think about it again until the time is up. That's it. If you can find a simpler way to bake, please let me know. Seriously, let me know. I'm all about easy.
That's my kind of dessert baking!
Cooling the Cake Before Frosting
Just like everything else about this recipe, cooling this slow cooker carrot cake is super easy. The cool thing about this cake is that you actually cool it in the crockpot while you're making up the homemade frosting.
That's it.
Just turn off the heat and let it sit there. That's all you need to do. A cake that cools in the crock? Yes, please!
Fun Tips for Making Homemade Frosting
The really cool thing about the frosting for this carrot cake recipe is that it's caramel dolce cream cheese frosting. That means you get the sweet taste of the caramel with the creamy texture of the cream cheese AND a tad bit of that coffee flavor, too.
If you never knew that carrot cake and coffee were a good pair, get ready to be impressed. One bite of this frosting and you just might be putting it on everything!
Mastering the Frosting
This frosting is so good, AND it's so easy. There's only one mistake that can really happen when making this frosting, and it's easy to fix. Sometimes, the frosting can become quite thick. Way too think, in fact.
If you've added a bit too much sugar, it will make the frosting quite thick. Just add a few extra drops of coffee to thin it right out!
You can also add in a bit more sugar if your icing is too thin, too. This goes either way, to take care of the problem. It's an extremely forgiving frosting recipe that's incredibly easy to adjust to the perfect consistency.
I highly recommend doing so in low doses, though, so that you can find that consistency and balance that you're looking for, and find it quickly. Otherwise, you might end up with far more frosting than you bargained for. However, I guess one can never have TOO much frosting.
Storing Crock Pot Carrot Cake
Crock Pot Carrot Cake FAQ
Before we go, let's go over the important points here in our handy dandy FAQ. As always, it's just the highlights to make sure you make the best (and easiest) carrot cake you've ever had in your life.
Q: How do I know if I've used enough non-stick spray?
A: If you make measured, even swipes across the surface of the Crock Pot, you should end up with an interior surface that sort of shimmers in the light. If you haven't sprayed evenly enough, you'll see dry areas. If you sprayed too much, the spray will run down the inside of the dish.
Q: I sprayed on too much non-stick spray. What now?
A: It's very simple to fix this situation. Simply take a paper towel and gently wipe the inside of the Crock Pot. That paper towel will simultaneously soak up the excess spray and smooth it out over the interior of the Crock Pot.
Q: What do I do if my frosting is too thick or thin?
A: This is an extremely easy fix. If your frosting is too thick, add a touch of coffee. If your frosting is too thin, add a bit more sugar. That's all there is to it!
Q: How long will this Crock Pot carrot cake last?
A: This cake will keep for about 3 days in the fridge in an air-tight container. You can freeze it for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container. To thaw it out, just put it in the refrigerator.
Crock Pot Carrot Cake is the Tastiest Easiest Cake Recipe
C]rock Pot Carrot Cake with Caramel Dolce Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- slow cooker or crock pot
Ingredients
- 1 box Carrot Cake mix I used Duncan Hines Moist Supreme brand.
- Oil
- Water
- Eggs
- Cooking Spray
Frosting
- 1 pkg (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 Tablespoon Butter, softened
- 2 Tablespoons Starbucks Caramel Dolce Coffee
- 1 ½ - 2 cups Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Spray the inside of the crock pot with cooking spray, and turn the heat on medium. Place lid on crock pot.
- Prepare cake according to package directions. Mix on low speed until all ingredients are blended. Stop the mixer, and scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix again at medium high speed for 2 minutes. Pour cake batter into crock pot, scraping out the mixing bowl with a spatula. Bake for 2 hours in the crock pot.
- Once the cake is baked, turn off the crock pot and place cake on a wire rack to cool. When the cake is cool, make the frosting.
- Place the cream cheese and butter in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, and mix until light and fluffy, using the whisk attachment. Add about a third of the powdered sugar, and 1 Tablespoon of the coffee. Mix until completely blended. Add another third of the powdered sugar, and the other tablespoon of coffee. Blend until smooth, then add the remainder of the powdered sugar, and mix until smooth.
- If the frosting is too thick, and a few more drops of the coffee, or if it's too thin, add a little more powdered sugar, until desired consistency is achieved.
- Frost the cake right in the crock pot, slice, serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition
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