When it comes to doughy cakes, a simple carrot cake recipe will always be at the top of my preferences. However, I developed this particular dish some years back, and now it has become a December must in this house. It's the best carrot cake to get into the holiday spirit, as it literally tastes like Christmas.

Now, I don't want to linger too much on the introductions since I very well know how frustrating those long descriptions are. In the end, we all want a simple and easy-to-read recipe, not a block of text only for Google to read. This being said, let me teach you how to make carrot cake, the Christmas version.

• Take a bowl and mix the dry ingredients: almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and finely chopped walnuts.

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• Leave it aside and prepare another bowl for your wet ingredients.
• Peel and grate your carrots and apple. Drizzle lemon juice all over and mix to combine. This will prevent any oxidation. Add the yogurt, vanilla essence, raisins, and dry cranberries.

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• In a standing mixer, combine 4 eggs with both sugars and mix for 4-7 minutes or until nice and fluffy. Slowly incorporate the oil.

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• Start adding the composition from the two prepared bowls: one tbsp of dry ingredients and one of wet, and so on, until you finish combining everything.

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• Prepare a springform.

I like to use a 16 cm one (6 inches) as it is perfect for cutting 3 nice and thick horizontal slices. However, you can use a 20 cm (8 inch) springform and just go with two layers. It really depends on your preferences.

• Grease your springform and add baking paper on the bottom as well as on the walls of the springform.
• Pour the carrot cake composition into your springform.
• Bake it at 180 degrees Celsius (350 F) for 1-1.5 hours until nice and golden. Test it with a wooden stick to make sure it's well done in the middle.

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The baking time really depends on the oven and on the springform you have. However, if you see that after 45-50 minutes, the top is already browning, but the toothpick comes out wet, reduce the temperature to 160 degrees Celsius (320 F) and give it time.

• After the toothpick test passes, take the springform out and let it cool down to room temperature. When it does, take the cake out and let it cool down completely. If you can leave it overnight, even better. You want to avoid cutting the layers while still warm, or you will break them.

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• With your cake cooled completely, it is time to split it into 2 or 3 layers. I am not the best person to tell you this because I always get one layer thicker than the others, but, well, try and make the horizontal cuts as equal as possible.
• Place each layer separately and let them rest while you prepare the frosting.

Now regarding this aspect, in my humble opinion, cream cheese frosting for carrot cake is a must. But if you prefer a classic buttercream, you can replace it. Yet, I advise you to trust me on this.

• In a mixing bowl, add the butter, cream cheese, and icing sugar. Mix it with your hand mixer or standing mixer for 3-5 minutes or until nice and fluffy.

Great! With all the carrot cake ingredients used, it is now time to assemble.

• Place the first layer of your cake on the serving platter. Add a layer of frosting (1-2 cm thick), the middle cake layer, and another layer of frosting, and finish with the final cake layer. With the remaining frosting, coat the cake as best and pretty as possible.
• To give it also a Christmas look and not just taste, garnish it with some cranberries and rosemary.
• Let it rest in the fridge overnight before serving a slice. This will allow the cake to get moist and delicious.

And that's a wrap! Here you go, the best carrot cake recipe for the holiday season.

As for some wiki facts, the origin of the traditional carrot cake is still under debate. Some say this dish comes from France, while others say Switzerland. However its parent was, carrot cake is a dessert beloved all over the world. This being said, if you want to start your holiday season with a slice of something that tastes like Christmas, then go ahead and bake our Carrot Cake That Tastes Like Christmas. If you do, remember to tag us on Instagram so we can se the outcome.

P.S. for more apple-walnut dessert combination, you can check out our Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake With Crunchy Walnuts