This is not your usual carrot cake recipe. This is a carrot cake made sublimely rich with butter replacing the oil. The results are a fine, firm crumb that holds and slices beautifully (so necessary in a layer cake). Th cake is not complicated. You can stir it up in one bowl without using your mixer. Use it for the most important of occasions, like birthdays and weddings. One can bake a four tier cake and have an impressive tower of indulgence (held in place with dowling of course). Refrigerated, the cake holds well so you can enjoy nibbling cake over a couple of days (if it lasts that long).
And then there’s the frosting. It is outrageously wonderful. Rich, creamy, buttery and exquisitely flavoured and enriched with cream cheese. It is the light as air volume that takes this cake creation over the top. There is absolutely no doubt. The frosting is sublime. The frosting is uncomplicated and foolproof. You simply beat the cream cheese, butter and icing sugar until is fluffy and smooth. The volume will seem like a lot of frosting, but use every bit. Lavish the frosting between the layers and on the top of the cake. Don’t frost the side of the cake.
The recipe for the frosting has been changed. I have eliminated half of the icing sugar. I find the over whelming sweetness of the cream cheese frosting did not complicate the flavours of this outstanding carrot cake. If you desire you can add more sugar.
| ITS ALL ABOUT THE ICING ON THE CARROT CAKE! | Print |
- 1½ cups (325g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (170g) melted unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- zest of one orange
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2½ cups grated carrots (about 2-3 large carrots)
- 1 cup (110 g) chopped roasted walnuts
- CREAM CHEESE FROSTING;
- 250g package cream cheese at room temperature (VERY soft.)
- ½ cup (115g) butter at room temperature (very soft)
- 2 cups (240g) sifted icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon or orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup (55g) coarsely chopped walnuts to decorate your cake
- Preheat oven 350F. Grease with butter two 9-inch cake pans and line bottoms with circles of parchment paper.
- Cream the sugar and butter together in a large bowl (or you can use your stand mixer). You want the mixture to be light and creamy.
- Stir in cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, vanilla and orange zest, and mix this well.
- Stir in the eggs one at a time until well combined
- Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda all at once and stir just enough until the flour is combines,. Be sure to scrape up the bottom of the bowl to catch any flour lingering there.
- Stir in the carrots and walnuts just until combines.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake 30 to 35 minuets or until a cake taster poked into the middle of the cakes comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs still sticking to it. Do not over bake.]
- Let cool in pans set on a rack for ten minutes then flip the cakes out of the pans onto the racks, remove the paper, and cool completely,
- THE FROSTING.
- Whip for the very soft butter, the icing sugar, the vanilla and the lemon or orange all together until creamy and soft peaks form. A note about the icing sugar. You absolute must sift it. The best way is with a big fine mesh strainer and sifting into a large bowl.
- Cut the very soft cream cheese into small squares and add it to the cream cheese. Beat until well combined. Don't over-beat.
- Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
- Place one layer on a cake plate and top with about half of the frosting. Spread it right to the edge then gently place the next layer on top. Frost the top leaving the sides bare
- Sprinkle the cake with chopped walnuts if desired.
