Classic Carrot Cake with Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting

Whats the best cream cheese frosting for carrot cake?
With only four ingredients butter cream cheese vanilla extract and powdered sugar the best cream cheese frosting recipe is one that gets the proportions just right. This recipe keeps things pleasantly tangy by using one part butter to two parts cream cheese which helps balance the sweetness. A whole tablespoon of vanilla rounds out the flavor beautifully.
Does carrot cake need to be refrigerated?
Carrot cake and any other cake for that matter with cream cheese frosting does need to be stored in the refrigerator. But happily this is a cake thats moist and delicious even when served cold though were willing to bet you wont have leftovers for long.

Note from the Food Wine Test Kitchen
Believe it or not carrot cake has been enjoyed in one form or another since medieval times. Its popularity has ebbed and flowed throughout history but its safe to say modern American carrot cake with cream cheese icing has squarely positioned itself as a dessert classic. With a touch of cinnamon and a smattering of toasted pecans swirled throughout this carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is the quintessential version.
Ingredients
Cake
Butter for greasing the pans
2 cups pecans 8 ounces divided
2 cups allpurpose flour plus more for dusting the pans
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup vegetable oil
12 cup buttermilk
1 12 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 pound carrots peeled and coarsely shredded
Frosting
2 sticks unsalted butter softened
2 8ounce packages cream cheese softened
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325F. Butter two 9inch cake pans line the bottoms with parchment. Butter the paper and flour