INGREDIENTS:
Carrot Cake
- 2 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
- 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup pecans or walnuts
- 4 eggs (room temperature)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 block (8 ounces) good quality cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
PROCEDURE:
- Preheat your home or bakery oven to 350 degrees F.
- Butter two – 9 x 2 inch cake pans, and line these with parchment or baking paper. Set aside.
- Peel your carrots and finely grate these. Set aside.
- Get your pecans or walnuts, and toast these in a pan. Toast for 8 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until you see these lightly browned. Cool these and chop coarsely.
- In a bowl sift together your dry ingredients – flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Next, in the bowl of your electric mixer, break all 4 eggs and beat until frothy. This can be done better if you separate the whites from the yolks, beat the whites for about 2 minutes, then add the yolks and beat for another minute.
- Slowly add the granulated sugar, and continue to beat until the mixture in the bowl is light colored and somewhat thick.
- Slowly drizzle in your oil in a steady stream with the mixer set at low. Add in your vanilla extract after this.
- Next, add the prepared flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer, and carefully fold in your grated carrots and the toasted, chopped nuts.
- Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared baking pans. Place in the oven and bake for around 25 to 30 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, your cakes are done.
- Remove your cakes from the oven and cool. 5 -10 minutes later, remove the cakes from their pans, remove the paper, and continue cooling on wire racks.
- Let your cakes cool completely before adding the frosting.
- For the cream cheese frosting, in a clean bowl, beat together your cream cheese and butter with a hand mixer. Do this on low speed and only until blended (no lumps but still creamy).
- Carefully add the powdered sugar in with the use of a small sifter, and continue to beat until the result is a smooth and creamy frosting. Add in the vanilla extract.
- Next, place one of the cooled cakes on your cakeboard. Frost the top of this using half of the cream cheese frosting. Carefully place the remaining cake on top of the frosted one, and finish frosting the rest of the cake.
- You can garnish your cake with some toasted walnuts or pecans, or you can color some cream cheese frosting ahead of time and pipe out small carrot shapes on the top of the cake. Refrigerate to set the frosting and serve chilled.
