RECIPE
Carrot Cake
I don’t know about you, but I am a huge fan of carrot cake. I have had many people tell me, that they love my carrot cake and they don’t like carrot cake. So if you aren’t sure if you like carrot cake, you need to try my carrot cake. I bet you will love it. Lele asked me one day if I ever had made a carrot cake and I was like yes. She wasn’t sure if she liked carrot cake. She tried my carrot cake and said it was the best cake she ever had. Which I was shocked about, because she loves my chocolate cake.
Most people think its an Easter dessert, but I really think it is great cake for the fall too. I use a vanilla bean cream cheese frosting and it is so delicious. The taste of vanilla is amazing, which I think is perfect for this cake.
Here are my 3 biggest tips to make the best carrot cakes. The first key is to make sure you don’t buy shredded carrots, you need to shred the carrots yourself. You need the extra moisture from the carrots. Pre shredded carrots are dry. The second key to the cake is the oil and applesauce, it adds the extra moisture for the cake. This cake stays moist for days. The third key is the spices, especially the cinnamon. The pairing of the spices with this cake is oh so good and balances perfectly with the sugar in the cake and the cream cheese frosting.
This cake is a great cake to make ahead of time. Bake the cake layers and freeze them. I like wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. This actually helps to seal in the moisture in the cake.
That is what is Baking in our Kitchen ????
Billie
Ingredients
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup applesauce
- 2 ¼ cup flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- Dash or two of cloves
- 2 ½ cups shredded carrots
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- Frosting-1 cup unsalted butter room temperature, 5-6 cups sifted powdered sugar, 2-8oz packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, 1 tsp vanilla bean, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Line 2 8” round cake pans with parchment paper and grease with butter or Pam, set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oil, brown sugar and sugar, until combined.
- Add eggs, vanilla extract and applesauce to the bowl, beat for 2 minutes on low/medium speed, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix on low speed until just combined.
- Fold in carrots.
- Fold in nuts.
- Pour the batter into the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until done. I rotate my pans after 20 minutes in the oven to make sure they are baking evenly. Depending on your oven cook time can vary.
- Let cool in the cake pan for 20 minutes before wrapping them and placing them in the refrigerator for an hour or freezer for 30 minutes. You need to make sure the cakes are cold before frosting them.
- Make the frosting-In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and salt until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 5 cups of powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the cream cheese and mix for 2 minutes, be careful not to over mix it. If frosting is too soft, add the additional cup of powdered sugar.
- If the cakes have domes, use a serrated knife to make them flat. Mine didn’t dome.
- Place a small dab of frosting on the cake board or serving dish. Place one cake facing up. Add about 1 ¼ cups of frosting and spread evenly. Place the cake layer facing down on top of the cake and frosting. Add frosting to the top of the cake and sides. Using an offset spatula smooth the frosting. Keep the spatula going the same way, don’t go back and forth. Place the cake in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm the crumb coat. Add the second layer of frosting to the top and sides of the cake. Add sprinkles or nuts to the top of the cake. Keep the cake refrigerated until about 30 minutes before ready to serve.
Tips & Recommendations
Make sure you shred the carrots, don’t buy the shredded carrots. I buy the baby carrots and shred them in my ninja. Tips for frosting your cake. Cake must be chilled, keep your spatula going the same way as you turn the cake. Using a cake turner will make it easier. Cake will stay fresh for five days covered in the refrigerator.
