Carrot Cake
A slight variation on the classic vegetable cake and cream cheese frosting with ginger jam in between make for a delicious combination.
Servings 3 9" cake pans
Equipment
- Stand Mixer (optional)
- Food Processor (optional)
- 3 8" cake pans
- rotating cake stand (optional but highly recommended)
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 454 grams Cream cheese (1 lb)
- 170 grams Unsalted Butter, softened (12 tbsp)
- 360 grams Powdered Sugar (3 cups)
- 10 ml Vanilla Extract (2 tsp)
Carrot Cake
- 240 grams AP flour (2 cups)
- 10 grams Baking soda (2 tsp)
- 5 grams Baking powder (1 tsp)
- 6 grams Salt (1 tsp)
- 2 grams Cinnamon (1 tsp)
- 2 grams Ground Ginger (1 tsp)
- 1 gram Ground Nutmeg (½ tsp)
- 237 grams Vegetable oil (1 cup)
- 350 grams granulated sugar 1-¾ cups)
- 4 Large Eggs
- 10 ml Vanilla Extract (2 tsp)
- 230 grams grated carrots (2 cups)
- 165 grams Crushed Pineapple, drained (1 cup)
- 113 grams Chopped Walnuts or pecans (1 cup)
- 40 grams unsweetened shredded coconut (½ cup)
- Walnuts or Pecans (for decorating)
- 170 grams ginger jam
Instructions
Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions
- Let the cream cheese and butter come to room temperature.
- Using the bowl of your stand mixer and the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until fluffy, around 3 minutes.
- Add the butter and beat until incorporated and smooth, another 3 minutes.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar a little bit at a time until the frosting is smooth and well combined.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy. If frosting seems a little too slack, add more powdered sugar until the desired consistency is reached.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and place in the fridge until ready to use.
Carrot Cake Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place a rack in the center of the oven
- Grease and flour the bottom and sides of three 8-inch cake pans.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and whisk to combine. Set aside
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Using the paddle mixer, mix until combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Using a spatula, fold in the grated carrots, pineapple, chopped nuts, and coconut until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three greased and floured pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, around 40 minutes.
- Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cake Decorating Instructions
- For making a 3-tier cake, begin assembling after all of the layers have cooled completely. Cut your cakes so the tops are even and can be stacked easily.
- Take the ginger jam and mix with a teaspoon or so of water to thin slightly and make easier to spread on the cake.
- Place the first layer down on a cake round or plate. Frost the top of the cake with a thin layer of icing and then pipe a ring of frosting around the outside of the cake to help keep the ginger filling inside the layers. Spread half of the ginger jam on top of the cake. Place second cake on top and repeat.
- Place third cake on top of second and apply a crumb coat of frosting to the assembled cake. Place in the fridge for ten minutes to help the frosting firm up.
- Remove from the fridge and apply the cream cheese frosting. Decorate the cake as desired. The process for creating caramel pecans is described in the blog post above.