Best Ever Carrot Cake Recipes

Steps:

• For the cake: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds and lightly coat the paper with spray.
• Cover the raisins with very hot water and let sit until plump, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
• Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, and then chop 1 cup of the pecans; reserve for the cake batter. Pulse the remaining 1/2 cup pecans in a food processor until very finely ground; reserve for garnish.
• Combine the carrots and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Beat the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until pale and thick, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually stream in the oil. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the carrot mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. Fold in the raisins and chopped pecans with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
• Bake the cakes, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cakes cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cakes and invert onto the rack. Remove the parchment and let the cakes cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and gradually mix in the confectioner' sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until the frosting until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• To assemble the cake: When the cakes are completely cool, trim the domes of each cake round with a large serrated knife so the tops are flat. Place one cake, cut-side down, on a platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the frosting evenly over top. Place the remaining cake, cut-side down, on top. Spread the top with another 1 1/2 cups of the frosting. Frost the sides of the cake with another 1 1/2 cups frosting and smooth out completely to make an even crumb coat (It's ok if some of the cake shows through. This is just a base layer.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the frosting set.
• Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake, swirling decoratively if desired. Sprinkle with the finely ground pecans.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine grated carrots and brown sugar. Set aside for 60 minutes, then stir in raisins.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 10 inch cake pans.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs until light. Gradually beat in the white sugar, oil and vanilla. Stir in the pineapple. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, stir into the wet mixture until absorbed. Finally stir in the carrot mixture and the walnuts. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. When completely cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting.

Steps:

• Beat together corn oil, sugar and eggs until well combined.
• In a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves.
• Add to egg-sugar mixture, mixing well.
• Drain the pineapple well.
• Add the carrots, walnuts, raisins and pineapple to mixture.
• Blend to mix well.
• Pour batter into a 9-10 inch greased and floured cake pan. *I use a springform pan and then split the cake into two layers.
• Bake at 350 degrees for approximately one hour or until a pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Let cake cool on rack.
• Prepare frosting.
• Cream Cheese Icing:.
• In a medium mixer bowl, cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add confectioner's sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat on high until smooth. This recipe yields approximately 5 1/2 cups. You'll have plenty extra which I think is better than having too little! : ).

Steps:

• Allow eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grease and flour two 9x1 1/2 inch round cake pans; set pans aside.
• In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda.
• In a medium bowl combine eggs, carrots, and oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake at 350 oven for 30-35 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean.
• Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely on racks.
• Frost tops and side with frosting. If desired, sprinkle chopped pecans over frosting. Store cake in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• *The carrots need to be finely shredded or they may sink to the bottom of pan during baking.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the sugars, oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. Stir in the carrots, pineapple, raisins and walnuts. , Transfer to a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Frost cake. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (If using a commercial convection oven, set it for 325 degrees on high fan).
• FOR THE CAKE:.
• Grease & flour four 12" round pans.
• Whisk first six ingredients in a large bowl until combined(flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt & cinnamon).
• In a separate smaller bowl, lightly beat oil, eggs & vanilla until combined.
• Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture until just combined.
• Carefully stir in the carrots, coconut, walnuts, pineapple & raisins until everything is evenly dispersed.
• Pour the batter into your greased & floured pans.
• Bake in the oven, turning half way through, until a toothpick comes out clean. When you lightly push on the cake it should spring back if it is done. (It takes about 25-30 minutes in a convection oven, but will probably take longer in a household oven).
• Cool the cake on cooling racks until it is room temperature. I cool mine in the fridge to speed things up -- but either way will work.
• FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:.
• While the cake is baking & cooling you can make your frosting.
• Beat cream cheese & softened butter in your mixer until it is light & fluffy.
• With your mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar a little at a time so it doesn't fly out everywhere.
• Continue beating until the frosting is smooth.
• Add the vanilla to the frosting & continue to mix until combined.
• This frosting should be a thick fluffy consistency so you can spread it easily but it won't run.
• If you want a thinner frosting add less powdered sugar, if you want it thicker add more powdered sugar.
• TO ASSEMBLE CAKE:.
• When the cakes are cool, put a dollop of frosting on each one & spread around so there is an evenly covered layer (about 1/4" - 1/2" thick).
• If you put too much frosting it will squish out from the weight of the stacked cakes.
• Spread the remainder of the frosting on the sides of the cake.
• FOR THE CARROT DECORATIONS:.
• Take two small bowls of frosting.
• To one add green food coloring until you get a nice "carrot stem green" color.
• To the other bowl add red + yellow food coloring to make a nice "carrot orange" color.
• Add extra powdered sugar to each to make the frosting very thick. Then use a pastry bag to pipe little carrots with green stems on the top of the cake.
• You can use a zip-top bag with a tiny hole cut in the corner to pipe out the frosting carrots if you don't have a pastry bag.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix sugar, oil, and eggs. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, chopped nuts and flaked coconut. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Steps:

• Combine all cake ingredients until well blended.
• Bake in a greased and floured pans at 350 F (for round layers, approx 40 minutes; for 10x14 sheet cake or bundt pan, approx 60 min).
• Test with toothpick for doneness - this is a very moist cake!
• Cool.
• Combine frosting ingredients in large bowl until very creamy.
• Frost cake when it is completely cooled (putting cake in freezer for 15 minutes once cooled sometimes makes icing easier).
• Enjoy! This cake freezes very well!