By: chezchanelle
RECIPES, ,

CLASSIC CARROT CAKE with CREAM CHEESE ICING

To me, what would Easter be without carrot cake, anyways?? My husband’s absolute favourite cake in the world happens to be Carrot Cake, so I took it upon myself to master this recipe and test it until perfection – since I get the impression it will be the most requested dessert in my house 🙂

Recipe has been doubled here for an extra tall cake.

To me, a good carrot cake needs two things to make the cut: 1). It must be moist and 2). It must have a depth of flavour from enough spice. I also might be a traditionalist because I opt out of nuts in my carrot cake. I prefer a rich moist cake and sometimes I find nuts take away from it – so – I just leave them out altogether! In the recipe I share below, nuts can easily be added if you happen to be a nutty fan 😉

Ingredients:

MAKES ONE 13- x 9-inch CAKE! I doubled the recipe listed below to achieve a 4-layer cake

  •  2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  •  2 tsp cinnamon
  •  2 tsp baking powder
  •  1 tsp baking soda
  •  3/4 tsp salt
  •  3 eggs
  •  3/4 cups vegetable oil
  •  3/4 cups brown sugar, packed
  •  3/4 cups granulated sugar
  •  1 tsp vanilla
  •  2 cups grated carrots
  •  1 can (398 mL) crushed pineapple, drained
  • Cream cheese icing:
  •  2 (8oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
  •  1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  •  2 cups icing sugar
  • For garnish:
  • 3 carrots, peeled & halved
  • 1/2 cup mini eggs, crushed

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 13- x 9-inch metal pan.
  2. In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, veg oil and vanilla until smooth.
  4. Stir this into flour mixture until just combined then stir in the carrots and pineapple until well combined.
  5. Scrape this mixture into 2 greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans.
  6. Bake in 350 F oven for 35 minutes. Allow cakes to cool in pan, remove and allow to completely cool before icing.
  7. *(I often make the cake the day before and let it rest a day before icing!)

Cream Cheese Icing:

  1. In bowl, beat cream cheese with butter until smooth followed by vanilla.
  2. Next, beat in icing sugar 1/4 cup at a time, until smooth and well combined.
  3. Slice each cake in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake plate. Spread about 3/4 cup of the icing over cut side – top with 1 of the remaining layers, cut side down. Repeat with remaining cake layers and icing.
  4. Using a large offset palette knife, spread a layer of the remaining icing all over cake to seal in crumbs and refrigerate for about 30 minute to firm up.
  5. Use a dollop of icing to stick your carrots to the top and finish with mini egg dirt around the base of the carrots and base of the cake.