My Perfect Carrot Cake
 
 
My Perfect Carrot Cake Serves 12-16 The cake part of this recipe is adapted from Greg Case’s recipe. When making the frosting, be sure to leave the cream cheese and butter out on the counter for at least 4 hours (and longer if you can!) – it’s the only foolproof way to achieve a smooth, creamy, and impossibly light cream cheese frosting.
by:
Serves: 12-16
Ingredients
  • For the Cake
  • 1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 10 oz. (2 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. table salt
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp. ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp. ground allspice
  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves
  • ¾ cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 ¼ cup vegetable oil
For the frosting
  • 1 lb. cream cheese
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 1 Tbs. vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp. table salt, more to taste
  • 2 - 3 cups confectioner’s sugar (depending on your preference)
Instructions
  1. Make the Cake: Move the oven rack to middle position, and heat the oven to 350°F. Line two 9” round cake pans with parchment, spray them with nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour.
  2. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, chop the carrots very finely to about the consistency of large couscous. Transfer carrots to a medium bowl and rinse the food processor bowl – you will need it again!
  3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Whisk to blend thoroughly. Transfer ¼ cup of this mixture to a small bowl, add the cranberries and pecans, and toss to combine.
  4. In the food processor fitted again with the steel blade, mix the eggs and sugars until thoroughly combined. With the machine running, slowly add the oil in a steady stream until well blended. Using a silicone spatula, scrape the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently to combine. Add the carrots and the cranberry/nut mixture; stir to combine.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 40 - 45 minutes. Let the pans cool on a rack to room temperature before inverting them to remove the cakes. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.
  6. Make the Frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a hand mixer), whip together the cream cheese and butter. Add the vanilla and salt. One cup at a time, add the confectioner’s sugar until you reach your desire sweetness, and continue whipping until the frosting is light and airy.
  7. Assemble the Cake: Put a small dollop of icing in the center of a large, flat serving plate (this helps glue the cake to the plate.) Place one cake upside down on the plate. Using a butter knife or offset metal spatula, evenly spread about 1 cup of the frosting over the top of the first cake. Top with the remaining cake layer, right side up. Spread the entire cake with the remaining frosting. For tips on how to frost the perfect layer cake, check out this great video.
Recipe by Three Many Cooks at https://threemanycooks.com/recipes/sweet-treats/my-perfect-carrot-cake/