Recipes

Carrot Cake

For Carrot Cake

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (260g)
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda, important to level the teaspoon, see tips
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil (295ml)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
  • 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar (190g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3 cups grated peeled carrots, 5 to 6 medium carrots (300g)
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (120g)
  • ½ cup raisins (70g)

For Creamy Frosting

  • 8 ounces block cream cheese, at room temperature (225g)
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch, optional
  • 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar (140g)
  • ⅓ cup cold heavy cream, not plain whipping cream, see tips (80ml)
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans, for topping cake (50g)

Bake Cake

  1. Heat oven and prepare pans: Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottom with parchment paper, and then grease the top of the paper. Or, grease and flour the pans.
  2. Prepare dry ingredients: Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl until very well blended.
  3. Prepare wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition.
  4. Make the batter: Switch to a large rubber spatula. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, gently stirring until just combined and no large streaks of flour remain. Stir in the carrots, pecans, and raisins.
  5. Bake cake layers: Divide the cake batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake until the tops of the cake layers are springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes.
  6. Cool them: Remove the cakes from the oven, and leave them in the pans for 15 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto wire racks and cool completely before frosting.

Frost Cake

  1. Prep dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk or sift together the cornstarch and powdered sugar. Set this aside.
  2. Beat cream cheese: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with a handheld mixer on medium speed until very smooth, whipped, and light, about 1 minute.
  3. Combine ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, add the cornstarch and powdered sugar to the cream cheese, a heaped spoonful at a time, until well blended.
  4. Add the cream: Pour in the cold heavy cream. Beat on medium to medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until the frosting is thick and has the consistency of whipped cream. Do not overbeat, or it may become grainy.
  5. Assemble the cake: When the cake layers are completely cool, frost the top of one cake layer and place the second cake layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Finish with more chopped pecans on top.

Yield

1 (9-inch) double layer cake (16 thin slices) or 22 to 24 cupcakes

Total Time

1 hr 5 mins