We are well into birthday season here! Sunday was my husband’s 35th birthday and while he was out on a mountain bike ride with a buddy, my daughter and I whipped this up for our intimate celebration: Carrot Cake Pie with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Carrot cake is one of my husband’s favorites. I rarely make it–I don’t have a full-sized food processor and the thought of grating all those carrots drives me a little crazy. It was, however, one of the layers our of wedding cake when we got married 11 years ago. He likes it that much!
I had my recipe picked out and I was ready to go… until I realized that I used all the raisins in my Oatmeal Cookies. Oops! Rather than throw some clothes on and travel the whole 5 minutes to the grocery store to buy more, I spent 2 hours looking through Pinterest and foodgawker recipes until I found a suitable substitute. It seemed like a good idea at the time…
I’m glad I did, though, because I had never heard of Carrot Cake Pie before. Pie crust is pretty damn tasty, so why not throw a cake in it with some awesome cream cheese frosting and call it dessert? Fantastic idea!
The pie came out of the oven just as The Big Guy walked in the door, filling the house with the most amazing aroma. Waiting for it to cool so it could be frosted would have been torture but thankfully, we left the house and went out to lunch. Upon our return, I frosted it (after bathing the dog, who threw up on herself while we were out… I promise, I washed my hands first), stuck 2 candles in it, and we sang our hearts out. That was pretty horrendous, but he smiled through our off-key rendition regardless and was rewarded with a piece of the pie. Or cake. Whatever you call it, it’s pretty good.
You can use your favorite pie crust recipe here, but I took the easy way out this time, salvaging the last pre-made crust I had in the freezer. Raisins would have been a great addition but–alas–I had none. The Big Guy seemed pleased, nonetheless!
Carrot Cake Pie and Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Pie
- 1 premade pie crust or your favorite recipe
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut unsweetened
Frosting
- 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
- 5 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon butter softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
Instructions
Pie
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a 9-inch pie plate with the pie crust and refrigerate until ready to use (or take out a frozen deep dish pie crust and refrigerate until ready to use).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
- Remove bowl from mixer and fold in the carrots and coconut with a silicone spatula.
- Spread mixture into the pie crust.
- Place the pie plate on a cookie sheet and bake in the center of the oven for 35 minutes, or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Frosting
- In a large microwavable bowl, melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave, heating at 50% power for 30 second intervals, stirring in between.
- Add the cream cheese and butter and beat until smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and confectioners sugar, beating until smooth again. If the consistency isn't right for you, you can add more confectioners sugar.
- Smear the frosting over the entire surface of the pie, then pipe a decorative edge with a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip.
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days.
Oh goodness this look good! I love carrot cake and what a great idea to serve it as a pie!
I wasn’t sure about it at first, but it was surprisingly good. I did prefer it after a day or two, though.