The Only Carrot Cake Recipe You Will Ever Need

Steps:

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

Steps:

• Make the cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat two 9"-diameter cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper rounds; lightly coat rounds with nonstick spray. If using raisins and rum, heat together in a small saucepan over low just until warm, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit until liquid is absorbed and raisins are plump, 15-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes; let cool. Combine carrots and buttermilk in a medium bowl.
• Whisk flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until pale and thick, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and gradually stream in oil. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with carrot mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients; mix until smooth. Fold in raisins, if using, and walnuts with a rubber spatula. Scrape batter into prepared pans.
• Bake cakes, rotating pans halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35-45 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cakes cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around sides of cakes and invert onto wire rack; remove parchment. Let cool completely.
• Make the frosting:
• Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla extract and salt. Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in powdered sugar. Increase speed to high and beat frosting until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Assemble the cake:
• Place 1 cake, domed side down, on a platter. Spread 3/4 cup frosting evenly over top. Place remaining cake, domed side down, on top. Spread top and sides with 1 1/4 cups frosting and chill 30 minutes to let frosting set. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides, swirling decoratively. Top with Candied Carrot Coins, if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk. Stir in carrots, coconut, vanilla, and pineapple. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; gently stir into carrot mixture. Stir in chopped nuts. Spread batter into prepared pan.
• Bake for 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine butter or margarine, cream cheese, vanilla, and confectioners sugar. Blend until creamy. Frost cake while still in the pan.