My Favorite Carrot Cake With Magic Topping Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and oil. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; beat into egg mixture. Stir in carrots., Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in another large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Add enough milk to achieve desired spreading consistency. Reserve 1/2 cup frosting for decorating if desired. If desired, stir walnuts into remaining frosting. , Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. If decorating the cake, tint 1/4 cup reserved frosting orange and 1/4 cup green. Cut a small hole in the corner of pastry or plastic bag; insert #7 round pastry tip. Fill the bag with orange frosting. Pipe twelve carrots on top of cake, so each slice will have a carrot. Using #67 leaf pastry tip and the green frosting, pipe a leaf at the top of each carrot. , Store cake in the refrigerator.

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 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:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Prepare cake batter as directed on package; stir in carrots, pineapple and 3/4 cup nuts.
• Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch square pans sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 25 to 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.
• Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until blended. Whisk in COOL WHIP.
• Stack cakes on plate, filling and frosting with cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with remaining nuts.