Ultimate 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:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
• For the cake: Beat the sugar, oil, and eggs together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light yellow. Add the vanilla. In another bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, the cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Toss the raisins and walnuts with 1 tablespoon flour. Fold in the carrots and pineapple. Add to the batter and mix well.
• Divide the batter equally between the 2 pans. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans set over a wire rack.
• For the frosting: Mix the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until just combined. Add the sugar and mix until smooth.
• Place 1 layer, flat-side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with diced pineapple.

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:

• Preheat oven to 180C (375F) and grease and line a large roasting dish.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda. Add salt.
• Beat eggs in a large bowl, add sugar and oil. Mix in carrot and pineapple until blended.
• Incorporate sifted flour mix bit-by-bit and stir until just combined.
• Bake in oven for 1 hour 1 hour 15 minutes or until cake starts shrinking from sides. Insert skewer, if it comes out clean then its cooked.
• Rest cake in tin for 15 minutes and then turn onto wire cooling tray.
• FROSTING.
• Beat butter, vanilla and cream cheese together in a mixer.
• Add icing sugar slowly until the frosting is a smooth consistancy.
• Frost cake when cold.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. For the cake, finely grate the zest from the orange and squeeze 3 tbsp of juice. Pour the juice over the raisins in a bowl, stir in zest, then leave to soak while you make the cake. Lightly oil and line the base of a deep 20cm square cake tin. Mix the flours with 1 tsp baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon.
• Separate one of the eggs. Put the white in a small bowl and the yolk in a large one. Break the remaining whole egg in with the yolk, then tip in the sugar. Whisk together for 1-2 mins until thick and foamy. Slowly pour in the oil and continue to whisk on a low speed until well mixed. Tip in the flour mix, half at a time, and gently stir it into the egg mixture with a rubber spatula or big spoon. The mix will be quite stiff. Put the extra pinch of baking powder in with the egg white and whisk to soft peaks.
• Fold the carrot, raisins (and any liquid) into the flour mixture. Gently fold in the whisked egg white, then pour into the tin. Jiggle the tin to level the mixture. Bake for 1 hr until risen and firm or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin 5 mins, turn out onto a wire rack, peel off the paper, then leave until cold.
• To make the frosting, stir the soft cheese, Quark, icing sugar and orange zest together - don't overbeat. Stir in the lemon juice. Swirl the frosting over the cake and cut into 16 square. This cake is even better if left well wrapped for a day or two before icing and eating. Will keep up to 5 days uniced in an airtight tin, or in the fridge if iced.

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 and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix the oil and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture just until combined. Stir in chopped pecans, carrot baby food, grated carrots, and coconut. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Sift together the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger onto a sheet of waxed paper.
• Mix the sugars together in a large bowl.
• Stir in the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
• Stir in the flour mixture, grated carrots, chopped pecans, coconut and raisins.
• Stir until well blended.
• Grease and flour three 9 inch round cake pans.
• Line each prepared pan with wax or parchment paper that has also been greased and waxed.
• Pour equal amounts into each of the cake pans.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of each comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Turn out onto cooling racks, remove wax paper and allow to cool completely.
• In a large bowl beat the butter and cream cheese together until light.
• Add the confectioners sugar, orange peel and vanilla mixing until smooth.
• Spread frosting between layers and stack evenly.
• Frost the top and sides of cake.
• Decorate with perfect pecan halves.

Steps:

• Prepare muffin tins with papers (about 48 regular cupcakes) or two 9-inch round cake pans (2 inch sides) with parchment and oil.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Coarsely grate the carrots in a food processor using the grater attachment.
• Chop them into finer pieces with the medal blade attachment in the food processor, if you want the texture of the cake a little bit finer.
• Mix together the eggs, sugar, oil, brown sugar, vanilla extract and orange zest.
• Mix together all of the dry ingredients in a bowl with a whisk.
• Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture.
• Add the finely chopped carrots, walnuts (or coconut), and raisins (or dried cherries).
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans or scoop into cupcake papers (fill 3/4 full).
• Bake cupcakes for about 18-25 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
• Bake 9-inch cakes for about 35-40 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
• Cool in pan(s) on wire rack for 10-15 minutes.
• Make frosting by combining all frosting ingredients and beating well, until fluffy.
• NOTE: If you like lots of frosting, double this recipe, but you'll have some left over, even if you are generous with it while frosting the cake. But it's delicious on EVERYTHING!
• To assemble the cake, remove from pan(s) and peel off the parchment paper from the bottom, place on cardboard rounds.
• With a thin serrated knife slice off the very top of the cake layer, using a sawing motion, to level the tops, if desired.
• Cut the cake layers into 2 equal layers. Slide the layers onto a cardboard round or any other flat surface.
• Using an offset spatula spread about 1½ cups of the frosting evenly over the surface of the first layer.
• Top with the next layer and repeat for the rest of the layers.
• Place about 2 cups of the icing on the top of the cake and spread evenly.
• Spread the icing onto the sides of the cake.
• Using the spatula, create swirls in the frosting on the cake. This cream cheese frosting is very soft so you won't want to try for anything too exacting.
• Press additional shredded coconut onto the sides of this cake, as a garnish, if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter and flour a 9-inch round and 3-inch deep cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Put the carrots into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
• Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 5 seconds. Add this mixture to the carrots and toss until they are well-coated with the flour.
• In the bowl of the food processor combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt.
• With the processor still running drizzle in the vegetable oil. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cake reaches 205 to 210 degrees F in the center.
• Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and allow cake to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 9 ounces powdered sugar, sifted, approximately 2 cups
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on medium just until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition.
• Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.
• Yield: approximately 2 cups

Steps:

• Sift dry ingredients twice.
• Beat the eggs until thick, add the sugar gradually (use an electric beater at high speed for about 3 minutes) until the mixture is very thick.
• Add the oil slowly and beat for another 2 minutes.
• Add carrots, pineapple, nuts, Amarula Cream and apricot jam and mix by hand.
• Add the dry ingredients to the mixture and fold in with a spatula until well blended.
• Butter a 28 cm diameter loose-bottomed spring form ring, an angle cake tin or 2 loaf tins**.
• Either line the base with baking paper or sprinkle with dry biscuit crumbs to coat lightly.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake at 356 degrees to 375 degrees for 1 hr and 10 minute or until done.
• Allow to firm and cool in tin for 10 minutes before turning out.
• ICING:.
• Cream the butter and gradually add the icing sugar.
• Gently stir in the Amarula Cream and the cream cheese.
• Don't over mix once the cheese has been added as it is inclined to become watery.
• Garnish:.
• Crystallized pineapple slices and pecan nuts.
• (**CAKE TINS: If using a 28cm springform tin with a hole in the middle there will be a little too much mixture. Fill the tin 2/3 full and bake the rest of the mixture in a muffin tin will make plus/minus 6 muffins extra.
• Angel cake tin - the mixture fits fine.
• Loaf tin - use one very large loaf tin - 30cm x 10 cm or 2 smaller ones).
• (Tip: If you "drip-dry" the cheese in a muslin cloth overnight, it becomes much drier. Allow the cake to cool completely before icing.).

Steps:

• For the cake:.
• Line 3 (9-inch) round cakepans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.
• Stir together first 4 ingredients.
• Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot and next 3 ingredients.Pour batter into prepared cakepans.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers, cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely.
• on wire racks. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers on top and sides of cake.
• For the Buttermilk Glaze:.
• Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.
• For the Cream Cheese Frosting:.
• Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Beat brown and white sugars, oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until well combined. Mix in flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in carrots and pineapple, then fold in pecans. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• While the cake is cooling, combine powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract for frosting in a medium bowl. Beat until mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans.
• Spread frosting over the cooled cake.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the bottoms of 3 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and grease with nonstick spray.
• Make the cake: Grate the carrots on the large holes of a box grater. You should have about 6 cups.
• In a large bowl, combine the grated carrots and buttermilk and stir until the carrots are completely coated.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose and whole wheat flours, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking soda, cloves, allspice and nutmeg.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer), combine the brown and granulated sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until the mixture drips from the whisk in ribbons, about 3 minutes.
• With the mixer running on medium speed, slowly drizzle in the vegetable oil, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through, if necessary. Continue mixing until the mixture is fully emulsified, about 2 minutes.
• Add ⅓ of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Add ½ of the carrot mixture and continue mixing on low speed until incorporated. Continue alternating adding the flour and carrot mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a flat rubber spatula to bring the batter together.
• Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let the cakes cool for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and let cool completely.
• Make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer), cream together the butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, salt, and vanilla bean seeds until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and continue mixing until silky and smooth, about 4 minutes.
• Assemble the cake: Dab a bit of frosting on a cake board and place a cake layer on top. Scoop 1 cup of frosting onto the cake. Repeat with the remaining 2 layers. Use the remaining frosting to coat the top of the cake completely, leaving the sides naked.
• Slice and serve.
• Enjoy!