About the Recipe
A stunningly moist cake with a subtle carrot taste with cinnamon and nutmeg notes that compliment the smooth and fluffy cream cheese frosting. Once you make this cake, you will learn the shortcuts and can whip it up in an hour.
Ingredients
Cake Batter
2 cups 345g plain flour
2 tsp 15g baking soda
½ tsp 2g salt
1 ½ tsp 3g cinnamon
1 tbsp fresh ginger
1 tsp 2g nutmeg
1 ¼ cups 285g vegetable oil
1 cup 185g brown sugar
1 cup 215g caster sugar
2 tsp 8g vanilla extract
4 eggs
3.5 cups 350g grated carrots
1 cup 70g crushed pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting
2 blocks 500g cream cheese
200g unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1.5 cups 420g powdered sugar
1/2 cup crushed pecans to garnish
Method
Carrot Cake Batter Method
Place whole pecans on a sheet pan in a 170°c preheated oven for 10 min
Finley grate carrot and ginger and place to the side to add later
In a large combine the white and brown sugars
Add the vegetable oil and mix well
Add the room temperature eggs and mix well
Add ginger and 1/2 the carrot, mix until combined. When mixed add the remaining carrot
(adding the carrot 50% at a time assists in breaking up the clumps)
Add the vanilla and mix
Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg
Add 1/2 the flour and mix until almost combined as to not overmix the batter
Add the crushed pecans and the remaining flour and mix until the flour disappears
Pour into a baking tin
large sheet pan 170°c for 40 minutes
smaller baking tins 175°c for 60 minutes
Check the cake is cooked with a skewer coming out clean from the center of the cake
Leave in the cake tin for 10 minutes, then remove carefully and cool completely on a wire rack
Cream Cheese Frosting Method
Ensure your butter and cream cheese is at room temperature and with a hand mixer whip until combined
Add powdered sugar and vanilla essence and on slow mix until light and fluffy
Assemble
There is no rule as to how to assemble a carrot cake. I like to layer the cake as it evenly distributes the frosting. I suggest having fun with it, you may like to keep the cake separate and add a generous dollop of frosting.