I ran into so many difficulties with this cake that I briefly wondered if this was a sign from the cosmos not to try this recipe. It was remarked that there are already too many recipes for carrot cake; why is there need for more? Still, I'm happy I persisted since this carrot cake with maple caramel is quite unique.When I first imagined this cake, it was going to look like the gorgeous rainbow carrots that are everywhere at farmers market stands right now. I adore them. I thought the contrasts of the orange, yellow, and purple would look amazing in a cake. Quite correct, huh? Correct. When the cake layers emerged from the oven, much to my disappointment

We’re still in summer mode, so I’m not going to bust out the pumpkin recipes just yet. But I thought it would be a great time to do a seasonal transition cake of sorts, using those fresh carrots from your garden or local farmers market and pairing them with the comforting Fall flavors of maple to make this delicious Maple Caramel Carrot Cake. I had so many challenges with this cake that at one point I considered the possibility that the universe didn’t want me to make this recipe.

There are too many carrot cake recipes out there already (it said), why does the world need another one?! Nevertheless, I’m glad I persevered, because this Maple Caramel Carrot Cake is truly like no other.

Somehow I was low on powdered sugar. How this could happen still boggles my mind. I am usually so diligent about noting ingredients I am running short on so that I’m never in this situation. I searched and searched for another bag of powdered sugar, but no luck.

So my frosting was 1/2 cup short on powdered sugar (recipe adjusted for correct amounts), which meant that the frosting was softer than I wanted it to be. Normally it wouldn’t be a huge problem, but assembling a cake with soft frosting and soft caramel in 30+°C (85+°F) temps with no A/C posed a bit of a challenge, to say the least.

A piece of maple caramel carrot cake on a plate with a fork If you’re looking for something a little different, a twist on something traditional, then this is the cake for you! The cake layers are incredibly moist and the maple caramel has a delicious and unique flavor. It really is my new favorite cake recipe.