Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
User Reviews
5
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Description
The Carrot Cake starts with a spiced dry mix including flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Light brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla are combined separately then mixed with shredded carrots and currants before folding in the dry ingredients. Toasted pecans are added for nuttiness.
Once baked in a rimmed sheet pan until set, the cake is cooled completely before frosting. The cream cheese frosting adds creamy tang and richness that complements the spice and natural sweetness of carrots and currants. The sides may be pressed with nuts for extra texture and flavor.
Served sliced, this carrot cake offers moist, tender crumb with the aroma of warm spices and crunch from pecans. It’s suitable as a layered cake or as bars, versatile for different occasions.
The cake can be frozen tightly wrapped for up to three months and thawed in the refrigerator. For accurate nutrition info, frosting should be factored separately. Using parchment and foil under the pan helps with easy removal and decorating.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves ground
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar packed
- 3/4 cups vegetable oil
- 3 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 2/3 cups carrot about 4, shredded
- 2/3 cups currants or raisins
- 2 cups pecans (8 ounces) toasted and coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust rack to middle of the oven and prepare a rimmed 18" x 13" baking sheet. Grease the bottom, then line with parchment paper. Grease parchment paper.
- Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl; flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.
- Whisk sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together until mixture is smooth. Stir in carrots and currants.
- Fold in flour mixture and mix until just combined. Spread batter in prepared baking sheet. Tap the baking sheet to get out the bubbles and smooth with an offset spatula.
- Bake until center of cake is firm to the touch, about 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Leave parchment on cake and invert onto wire rack. Allow to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Assembling the carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.
- Place the first layer on a piece of cardboard lined with foil or parchment slightly larger than the layer. This makes it easier to pick up the cake and press the nuts into the sides.
- While cake is baking, prepare buttermilk cream cheese frosting. You'll need about 4 cups.
- Cut the 18" x 13" sheet cake into four equal pieces, approximately 9" by 6 1/2".
- Place 2/3 of a cup of the frosting on the first layer, then continue with the next two layers. The top of the cake is frosted with about 1 cup of frosting and the sides with the remaining frosting.
- Lift up cake or put it on a sheet pan and carefully press the toasted pecans into the side of the cake. Score the top of the cake into 12 equal portions then top with a tiny marzipan carrot if desired. Chill one hour before serving.
- Store leftover cake, well wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Notes
- Use a piece of cardboard lined with foil or parchment slightly larger than the cake layer for easier handling and to press nuts on the sides.
- Nutritional info covers cake and nuts only; add frosting calculations separately.
- The cake can be frozen well wrapped for up to three months and thawed in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 321 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1slice | |
| Calories | 321kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 48g | 16% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 13g | 20% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Trans Fat | 0.01g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 47mg | 16% |
| Sodium | 239mg | 10% |
| Potassium | 334mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 29g | 58% |
| Vitamin A | 4006IU | 80% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 88mg | 9% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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