Hi everyone! I am excited to announce that I am opening a bake stand for veterans on September 6, and to prepare for this event, I have started to experiment with some delicious goodies sourced right from my garden.
One of the treats I decided to make is carrot cake. Interestingly, I have never been a fan of the store-bought versions of this cake; they always seemed to lack the homemade touch that makes baked goods so special. However, given that I have an abundance of fresh, vibrant carrots from my garden, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to give carrot cake another chance and create a version that reflects my own taste and style.
WOW, let me tell you, I really scraped a knuckle while grating those carrots! It was quite the workout, but I found the process oddly satisfying as I saw the bright orange shreds accumulate. If anyone has any better ideas or tools for grating carrots that could save me from future knuckle injuries, please let me know! Haha! I would greatly appreciate any tips or tricks that could make this task easier.
Despite the minor mishap, I persevered and successfully made the cakes, and I must say, they turned out absolutely wonderful! The aroma that filled my kitchen was heavenly, and the texture of the cake was moist and fluffy, just as I had hoped. The combination of the sweet carrots, warm spices, and creamy frosting created a delightful treat that I can’t wait to share with everyone.
They are truly very YUMMY, and I am so pleased with the outcome! I believe this homemade carrot cake will be a hit at my bake stand, and I am looking forward to seeing the smiles it brings to those who try it.
Here is the recipe for my delicious carrot cake:
Easy Carrot Cake Recipe
PREP 20 mins
COOK 45 mins
TOTAL 1 hr 5 mins
This is the best carrot cake recipe I’ve made. We prefer to use a hand grater when preparing the carrots since it creates delicate shreds that melt into the cake batter. We like using granulated and brown sugar in this recipe. If you only want to use one, choose brown sugar since it has the necessary acid to react with the baking soda. For cupcakes, see our carrot cake cupcakes recipe.
Frosting: Our creamy frosting recipe shared below is not a traditional cream cheese frosting. Thanks to whipped cream, it’s creamier and has soft peaks (you can see it in our video). See the tips section below for a more traditional frosting.
Makes 1 (9-inch) double layer cake (16 thin slices) or 22 to 24 cupcakes
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
For Carrot Cake
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 teaspoons baking soda, important to level the teaspoon, see tips
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ¼ cups (295ml) vegetable oil
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 cup (190g) lightly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups (300g) grated peeled carrots, 5 to 6 medium carrots
1 cup (120g) coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup (70g) raisins
For Creamy Frosting
8 ounces (225g) cream cheese, at room temperature
2 teaspoons cornstarch, optional
1 ¼ cups (140g) powdered sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) cold heavy cream, not plain whipping cream, see tips
1/2 cup (50g) coarsely chopped pecans, for topping cake
Directions
Bake Cake
1Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
2Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottom with parchment paper, and then grease the top. Or grease and flour the bottom and sides of both pans.
3Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl until very well blended.
4In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla.
5Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each one.
6Switch to a large rubber spatula. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the dry ingredients in three parts, gently stirring until they disappear and the batter is smooth.
7Stir in the carrots, nuts, and raisins.
8Divide the cake batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake until the tops of the cake layers are springy when touched and when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes.
9Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then carefully turn the cake layers out onto cooling racks. Remove the parchment paper and cool completely. If you find that a cake layer is sticking to the bottom of the pan, leave the cake pan upside down and allow gravity to do its thing.
Frost Cake
1In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with a handheld mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
2Beat in the powdered sugar and cornstarch. I like sifting the powdered sugar and cornstarch over the cream cheese to remove lumps. If you do not have a fine mesh sieve, beat in the cornstarch and powdered sugar a 1/4 cup at a time until combined.
3Pour in the heavy cream. Beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until the frosting is whipped and creamy. This frosting resembles the texture of whipped cream. Chill covered until ready to frost the cake.
4When the cake layers are completely cool, frost the top of one cake layer and place the second cake layer on top.
5Add the remaining frosting to the top of the carrot cake and use a butter knife or small spatula to swirl the frosting around. Leave the sides of the cake unfrosted. Finish with a handful of nuts on top.
Storing
1Frosted carrot cake lasts in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. I keep it covered with plastic wrap or use a cake keeper, or large bowl turned upside down to cover the cake. I do not recommend freezing frosted carrot cake (the frosting does not thaw well). You can refrigerate unfrosted cake layers for up 5 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before adding your frosting.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
Measuring the flour: Either weigh it or use the “spoon and level” method: Fluff the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup, then level off the top with a flat edge. See our video for a demonstration.
Baking soda: When measuring, dip your spoon into the container, then level it off using the straight edge of one of your other spoons. For the best results, use fresh baking soda (it loses its potency after being opened for 6 months).
Traditional cream cheese frosting: In a large bowl, beat 16 ounces of cream cheese and 1/2 cup of softened butter together for a minute or two until smooth. Add 4 ½ cups of powdered sugar, 1 ¼ teaspoons of vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes until extra creamy. If it is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of cream or milk.
How to make carrot cake cupcakes: This recipe makes 24 cupcakes. Bake them for 14 to 18 minutes and allow to cool in the cupcake pan before cooling completely on a wire rack. You may also like this recipe for carrot cake cupcakes.
To make a large single-layer cake, add all the batter to a 9 x 13-inch rectangular pan and bake. The bake time may be slightly longer. A 10-cup or 12-cup bundt pan should also work, but expect the bake time to increase by 30%.
Adding pineapple: I like fresh chopped pineapple or drained canned pineapple. Do not add more than 1 cup.
Heavy cream (US bakers): Heavy cream has more milk fat (about 36%), while whipping cream has less (around 30%). Use “heavy cream” or “heavy whipping cream.” Plain “whipping cream” does not whip as well and can cause your frosting to be too soft. If you only have whipping cream or cream with less than 35% fat content: If you only have whipping cream or are unsure what you have in your kitchen, whisk it in a separate bowl until soft peaks. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the whipped cream to the beaten cream cheese mixture and combine to loosen. Then, fold in the remaining whipped cream.
UK & Australia bakers: Use plain flour for the batter and “double cream” or “thickened cream” with at least 35% fat content for the creamy frosting.
Recipe inspired by Smitten Kitchen’s cupcakes recipe.
The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1 slice (1 of 16) / Calories 535 / Total Fat 33.4g / Saturated Fat 6.9g / Cholesterol 69.3mg / Sodium 315.9mg / Carbohydrate 56.4g / Dietary Fiber 2.4g / Total Sugars 40.5g / Protein 5.6g
AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher
Give it a GO !
