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Updated: February 3, 2022
I have a confession. I intended to post the recipe for this
Carrot Cake with Buttercream Frosting last year. The grand plan was to share the recipe after the cake was well-received by the guests of a
Thanksgiving dinner.
Yes, Thanksgiving. I made this cake, although not for the first time, back in
November. Where the hell did the time go?
It's a good thing that
Carrot Cake with Buttercream Frosting is an appropriate dessert for any occasion, whether it be the sweet conclusion to a holiday celebration, a birthday party, or a bridal shower. Okay, I'll just say it. This cake is appropriate to serve at any time.
Even at 8am as a naughty little breakfast treat.
Don't judge me. You know you've eaten cake for breakfast, too.
The recipes for both the cake and the frosting come to you from
Claire Criscuolo, the owner of
Claire's Corner Copia, one of my absolute favorite restaurants EVER. Located in
New Haven, Connecticut, Claire's is an indisputable landmark of the city and features an
incredible menu of tantalizingly delicious
homemade vegetarian dishes, ranging from omelettes to soups to sandwiches to salads to flat bread pizzas to an
insane offering of Mexican dishes.
Oh! And the quiche. Claire's quiche is amazing.
I have never eaten anything at Claire's that left me feeling disappointed or unsatisfied. The hardest thing about eating there was always deciding what to eat in a reasonable amount of time as not to annoy the person waiting to order in line behind you.
I grew up in Connecticut, so I had the fortunate advantage of visiting Claire's on a fairly regular basis. The frequency of visits increased exponentially after I got my license and was given access to the family minivan.
No matter what I wound up eating for lunch (or dinner), I
always ordered a slice of Claire's
Carrot Cake with Buttercream Frosting for dessert. It was my favorite thing on the menu and I never let the opportunity to enjoy a piece slip through my hands.
It was my utterly ridiculous love for Claire's carrot cake that ultimately prompted me to buy a copy of her then-recently published
Claire's Corner Copia Cookbook before I went off to college in Pennsylvania. The cookbook included recipes for the cake and the buttercream frosting, and whenever I started missing home, I pulled out the cookbook and baked that cake.
The first time I made Claire's cake ended up a spectacular failure. The cake was burned and heavier than anything I had ever baked before. It took me hours to come to the conclusion that I completely misread the recipe.
NOTE: 1 CUP of canned pineapple does NOT equal 1 CAN of canned pineapple.
The memory of cleaning my baking supplies after that disaster has embedded itself in my brain and I've never made that mistake again! And I've given you fair warning, so, hopefully, you won't make that mistake either.
If you're still scratching your head over what to make for
dessert after your Easter dinner on Sunday, then I implore you to try Claire's cake. I'm positive you'll fall in love with it just like I did over 15 years ago. Special thanks to Claire for granting me permission to share the recipes with you!
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