Description
A simple no-baked layered dessert with graham crackers and light carrot cake flavored whipped cream filling. It’s a delightful Spring Easter recipe!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (14 ounce) box graham crackers
- 1 (8 ounce) brick of cream cheese, very well softened
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 3/4 cup finely shredded carrots
- 1/3 cup well drained crushed pineapple
- 1/4 cup toasted sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- 2 cups heavy cream, dividing the cream after it’s whipped
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- Store-bought vanilla frosting, orange and green food coloring, sprinkles for decoration. All optional but lovely.
Instructions
- Start by breaking 4 or 5 graham crackers into quarters. Keep the remainder in whole, long cookie pieces.
- We’ll use a 8-inch square pan for this recipe. A 9-inch pan is also fine – you’ll just use more cookies.
- On either size square pan you’ll notice that the sides arch out a bit as the pan get taller, making more real estate space for more cookies and filling. As you place cookies, just see what fits. It’s a puzzle!
- Place the cream cheese in a medium sized bowl. Make sure the cream cheese has rested at room temperature for a few hours, ensuring that it has no chill and is very soft. Beat with electric hand beaters until lightly fluffed and smooth.
- Add the sweetened condensed and beat until very well incorporated and smooth. You don’t want to see any bits of cream cheese, so beat on high until they’re thoroughly combined. Stir in the shredded carrots, pineapple, coconut, spices, vanilla, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, use the electric hand beaters to blend the heavy cream to soft peaks. You want the cream to hold some shape and feel aerated but still be very smooth and spreadable.
- Start to incorporate the unsweetened cream into the cream cheese mixture by spooning just under a cup of whipped cream into the cream cheese bowl. Fold with a spatula to combine. No need to super stir this together. We’re trying to lighten the cream cheese mixture and keep the whipped cream fluffy.
- Continue to add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture in batches, being sure to reserve about 1 1/2 cups of whipped cream in the bowl – we’ll use this for the piping.
- Layer graham crackers across the bottom of the pan to cover the bottom.
- Spoon in a scant cup of the whipped cream carrot mixture and spread to smooth.
- Layer more graham crackers across the cream layer and again smooth more whipped cream carrot mixture. Repeat this process, with five layers of graham crackers and ending with the a final layer of whipped cream carrot mixture.
- Cover loosely and allow to rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight to soften.
- Add the powdered sugar to the remaining 1 1/2 cup of whipped cream and beat lightly to firm up.
- Before serving, spoon the sweetened cream into a piping bag and make a border around the edges and across the center to create nine squares. Pipe a carrot into each square, a few sprinkles across the top of the cake, and keep chilled until ready to serve. Cake will last in the fridge for up to four days. Enjoy chilled!