Baking a cake makes me nervous. So many layers, so many steps, so much frosting, so much that could go wrong. I still don't understand how people are able to get their frosting to look so smooth on their cakes. I always end up going for a 'rustic' look. Perhaps I need to invest in an offset spatula?
Though it took forever to grate the pound of carrots (I read somewhere that it was better to grate the carrots by hand, rather than with a food processor, though I can't quite remember why), the cake itself came together pretty quickly. I had originally planned to make a small cake, but I ended up going all out and made an 8" double-layer round cake. I made the cake the night before D's birthday, and then made the frosting and frosted the cake the next evening. (I covered the cake layers in plastic wrap and refrigerated them overnight.) The end result was delicious, and we may or may not have managed to eat half the cake between the two of us over a span of just two days. No judgement, right?
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (printer-friendly version)
1 1/3 cups canola oil
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound carrots, grated
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter two 8" round cake pans. Cut out a circle of parchment paper to fit into the bottom of each pan. Butter (again) and flour the pans. Set aside.
3. Toss together the raisins and chopped walnuts with the tablespoon of flour. Set aside.
4. Sift together the remaining flour, cinnamon, ground nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. (Catching a pattern here?)
5. Use a mixer to thoroughly stir together the sugar and oil. (It will be light yellow in color.)
6. Add in the three eggs and stir to combine. Add in the vanilla.
7. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix between additions.
8. Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and stir in the walnuts and raisins by hand.
9. Fold in the carrots and pineapple.
10. Divide the batter evenly into the two prepped cake pans.
11. Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out clean. After 30 minutes in the oven, switch the positions of the cake pans to ensure even baking.
12. Place the pans on a wire rack and let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
13. While the cakes are cooling, make the cream cheese frosting (see below).
14. Place the bottom layer of the cake flat-side up onto a flat plate or cake pedestal. Add a large dollop of frosting onto the cake and spread evenly over top the cake.
15. Place the second layer on top of the first layer, round-side up.
16. Use the remainder of the frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake. (Or just use as much as you desire; I ended up with about an extra cup of frosting.)
17. Serve the cake as-is, or decorate the sides or top of the cake with crushed walnuts.
10-12 servings
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, chopped
2 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/ teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups granulated sugar1 1/3 cups canola oil
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound carrots, grated
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter two 8" round cake pans. Cut out a circle of parchment paper to fit into the bottom of each pan. Butter (again) and flour the pans. Set aside.
3. Toss together the raisins and chopped walnuts with the tablespoon of flour. Set aside.
4. Sift together the remaining flour, cinnamon, ground nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. (Catching a pattern here?)
5. Use a mixer to thoroughly stir together the sugar and oil. (It will be light yellow in color.)
6. Add in the three eggs and stir to combine. Add in the vanilla.
7. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix between additions.
8. Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and stir in the walnuts and raisins by hand.
9. Fold in the carrots and pineapple.
10. Divide the batter evenly into the two prepped cake pans.
11. Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out clean. After 30 minutes in the oven, switch the positions of the cake pans to ensure even baking.
12. Place the pans on a wire rack and let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
13. While the cakes are cooling, make the cream cheese frosting (see below).
14. Place the bottom layer of the cake flat-side up onto a flat plate or cake pedestal. Add a large dollop of frosting onto the cake and spread evenly over top the cake.
15. Place the second layer on top of the first layer, round-side up.
16. Use the remainder of the frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake. (Or just use as much as you desire; I ended up with about an extra cup of frosting.)
17. Serve the cake as-is, or decorate the sides or top of the cake with crushed walnuts.
Cream Cheese Frosting
0.55 oz unsalted butter, softened (I used a package of Smjör Icelandic butter)
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
16 oz powdered sugar
1. Cream together the butter and cream cheese until just combined.
2. Add the vanilla and stir to combine.
3. Stir in the powdered sugar and mix on high speed until smooth.
(adapted from this Ina Garten recipe)
(adapted from this Ina Garten recipe)
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