BOXED CARROT CAKE HACKS RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare pan(s) by spraying baking spray with flour or by lining with parchment paper. See notes below.
• Blend cake mix, water/pineapple juice mixture, vanilla, oil and eggs in large bowl at low speed until moistened, about 30 seconds. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Stir in carrots, pineapple and pecans until incorporated throughout batter. Pour batter into pans and bake immediately.
• Baking times will vary depending on pans and oven. Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Shield top of cake with aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning if needed.
• Cool cakes in pans on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and continue to cool on wire rack until completely cool before frosting.
• Baking times:(2) 9 inch pans and 9 x 13 pan: 23 – 28 minutes8 x 4 loaf pans: 40 – 45 minutes
• Cream Cheese Frosting

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 2 quarter sheet pans or 1 half sheet pan.
• Prepare cake mix according to the box, but with one less egg (for example, the duncan hines box mix requires 3 eggs, but I used 2). This will make the cake slightly stiffer, making it less likely to crumble in sandwich form.
• To the cake batter, add in 1 shredded carrot, if using carrot cake mix, or 2 shredded carrots if using spice cake mix.
• Pour batter evenly into either 2 quarter sheet pans or 1 half sheet pan. Using a spatula or spoon, spread the mixture evenly to the edges of the pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20-22 minutes, until fully baked. Place tray(s) on cooling rack.
• While the cakes are cooling, whip cream cheese in a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer. Once smooth, add in the entire can of frosting. Let it mix together until well incorporated.
• Once the cakes have cooled, use a circular cookie cutter or rim of a glass to stamp out circles in the cake. These will be your sandwich cookies. Place cookies on a tray.
• Transfer frosting mixture into a piping bag or ziplock bag and cut off the corner. Pipe frosting evenly onto every other sandwich cookie. Top the frosted cookie with an unfrosted cookie to create the sandwich.