✨For Easter, I transform a vanilla box cake into a delicious carrot cake. I enhance the flavor by using homemade Ginger Mascarpone frosting from Ina Garten’s book, *Foolproof.

I know there is already a carrot cake box mix available, but it includes artificial colorants and many undesirable ingredients.

Note: When preparing the box cake, replace the water with milk and the oil with unsalted butter.

🐣Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1 vanilla cake mix, along with the required ingredients
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 pound grated carrots (grate by hand)
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 cup raisins (optional)

🐰For the Frosting:

• 12 ounces Italian Mascarpone, at room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup minced crystallized ginger (not in syrup)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

🥣Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine all the cake ingredients except for the carrots, nuts and seasonings. Mix until just combined; avoid overmixing the batter.
2. Add the ground spices and grated carrots, mixing until well incorporated. Then, fold in the nuts by hand.
3. Bake the cake according to the box instructions. Once baked, allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.

While the cake cools, prepare the frosting:

4. In a mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the Mascarpone, cream cheese, heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla extract for about 1 minute until the mixture is light and fluffy.
5. Add the minced crystallized ginger and salt, and mix for an additional 30 seconds.
6. Once the cake is completely cooled, cut it in half to add frosting in the middle. Place the bottom layer of the cake on a serving tray lined with layers of parchment paper, which will make cleanup easier after decorating.
7. Frost the middle of the cake, then stack the top layer on. Decorate the cake as desired; I added nuts around the edges and on top. You can also sprinkle chopped crystallized ginger on top for added flavor.

💫Enjoy your cake, and have a wonderful Easter!🐣

*Barefoot Contessa Foolproof. Copyright ©️ 2012 by Ina Garten. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House.

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