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carrot cake recipe

Carrot Cake

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings: 12 Servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups  all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon  baking soda
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon  salt
  • 2 teaspoons  ground cinnamon
  • 3 cups  grated carrots 
  • 1 cup  vegetable oil
  • 4 large  eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon  vanilla extract
  • 1 cup  chopped walnuts or pecans optional
  • 8 ounces  cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup  unsalted butter softened
  • 3 cups  powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon  heavy cream

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease two 9-inch round cake pans. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. It is important to whisk these thoroughly
  2. In a separate medium bowl, beat the eggs and then whisk in the vegetable oil and vanilla extract.
  3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a large spatula to fold them together until just combined. Now, add the three cups of grated carrots and the chopped nuts. Stir them in gently. 
  4. Divide the batter equally between your two prepared pans. Tap the pans on the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. You can check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; if it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, the cake is ready.
  5. While the cakes cool completely, make the frosting. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until the mixture is totally smooth. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, followed by the heavy cream.
  6. Whip the frosting on high speed for two minutes until it looks like a thick, white cloud. If your kitchen is hot, put the frosting in the fridge for twenty minutes to help it firm up before you start decorating.
  7. Place one cake layer on your serving plate. Spread a thick layer of frosting over the top, then place the second cake layer on top of that. Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and the sides of the cake.
  8. If you like a rustic look, you don’t need to make the frosting perfectly smooth.
  9. Use the back of a spoon to create swirls, and finish by pressing a few extra chopped nuts around the bottom edge.

Notes

The biggest mistake is frosting a warm cake. Cream cheese frosting is essentially mostly fat; if it touches a warm surface, it will melt into a liquid and slide right off the sides.
You must wait until the cake is completely cool to the touch. If you are in a hurry, you can wrap the individual layers in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer for twenty minutes to speed up the process.
Another issue is the carrots being too wet. If your carrots are extremely juicy after grating, you might want to give them a very light squeeze with a paper towel.