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Carrot Cake

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Carrot cake covered with pecans and cream cheese icing

Classic Carrot Cake – a deliciously moist layer cake filled with carrots and topped with toasted pecans and a silky smooth cream cheese icing.

It’s really pretty funny.  I have somehow convinced myself that if I put vegetables in my desserts, it’s OK to have a second piece, slice or helping.  Yes?  Yes.  Thanks – just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page.
 cake batter
About once a year I bake a cake.  For some reason I get stressed out about baking cakes, only cakes.  I think it’s a pressure thing – I would be so upset if I messed up someones birthday or something.  So just in case I ever need to actually bake a cake, I try to take one out for a test drive every now and then.  I could never, never, never bake wedding cakes or take wedding photos.  There are no do-overs at weddings!
carrot cake batter with raisins and carrots
See?  You thought I was kidding about getting a serving of vegetables in each slice.  This recipe boasts 2 and 2/3 cups of shredded carrots.  And currants, naturally sweet, healthy currants.  Oh there are eggs too – lots of protein in eggs.
flour mixture for carrot cake
This is a super simple recipe and you don’t even need a mixer.  Fold the dry ingredients into the carrot mixture and into the oven it goes.
carrot cake batter with raisins, carrots and cinnamon
Can’t you almost smell the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves?  Get ready – Autumn is coming soon!
classic carrot cake with toasted pecans and cream cheese icing
You want to hear something silly?  I had the house to myself this past weekend and took my time shooting this cake.  Before I knew it I had shot 240 photos of the process and the cake.  What was I thinking?  I was having a hard time getting the shots I wanted and got carried away.  It took way too much time to sort them all out so I skipped the cake assembly photos.  I was getting pretty bleary eyed getting through them all.  I mean who takes 240 photos of a cake?  Sheesh – I am totally out of control.
a slice of carrot cake with toasted pecans and cream cheese icing
This cake is baked in a 17×12 inch pan and then cut into four equal pieces for layering.  It worked like a dream and was super easy to assemble. The other thing I really love about this recipe is the buttermilk powder used to help stabilize the cream cheese frosting.  Sometimes cream cheese can be thin once warmed to room temperature.  This frosting stays consistent and the buttermilk powder gives it just the right amount of tang.  So good!
slice of carrot cake

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Classic Carrot Cake - a deliciously moist layer cake filled with carrots and topped with toasted pecans and a silky smooth cream cheese icing #carrotcake #cake #creamcheeseicing #dessert #carrot #classiccake

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5 from 2 votes

Carrot Cake

Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
Yield: 10 slices
Course: Cake, Dessert
Author: Tricia
PRINT RECIPE
A deliciously moist classic carrot cake with silky smooth cream cheese icing.

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 2/3 cups shredded carrots, about 5 large (use the large holes of a box grater to shred the carrots)
  • 2/3 cups dried currants

For the frosting:

  • 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
  • 3 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk powder, found near regular powdered milk in the grocery store
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 8 ounce packages cream cheese (chilled and cut into 16 equal pieces)
  • 2 1/2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped

Instructions

For the cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 17×12 inch rimmed baking sheet. Line the pan with parchment paper and grease the parchment lightly. Set aside.
  • Cut a 6 by 8-inch cardboard rectangle and set aside. I used a cardboard cake circle for this step.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves until blended. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl whisk the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together. Be sure to break up any clumps of brown sugar and whisk until smooth. Fold in the carrots and currents with a spatula. Add the flour mixture and fold together just until combined.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan and smooth with an off-set spatula until even. Bake for 15-16 minutes or until the center of the cake is firm to the touch. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then invert onto a wire rack (do not remove the parchment paper) and then invert again on another wire rack so the parchment side is down and the cake is up. Cool completely.

For the frosting:

  • Combine butter, sugar, buttermilk powder, vanilla and salt on low speed of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Blend about 2 minutes scraping sides as needed. Increase speed to medium-low and add the cream cheese 1 piece at a time. This can be done by adding a piece every 15 seconds or so until all cream cheese is incorporated. Beat another two minutes until smooth.
  • Place the cake on a large cutting board (parchment side down) and cut the cake in half crosswise and then in half lengthwise to make 4 equal rectangles, each 6 by 8 inches. Place one cake rectangle, parchment side up, on the cardboard. Remove the parchment paper. Spread a heaping 2/3 cup of frosting on the first cake layer. Repeat with two more layers, frosting each with a heaping 2/3 cup of frosting. Press gently on each layer to keep the cake level. Place the last layer on top and spread a thin layer of frosting or 1 heaping cup if you choose not to pipe additional frosting on top. Frost the sides of the cake. Hold the cake in one hand and gently press the chopped pecans onto the sides with your other hand. Pipe frosting on top using a large star tip.
  • Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Recipe Notes

(Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Recipes)

We used this pan for making the recipe – click on the photos for more information:

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We have a few more cakes posted on SRFD so please help yourself!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Tricia

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15 Comments

  1. Reafa says

    5 stars
    I made this for my husband’s birthday. He is a carrot cake snob- haha so this was a very good one. He really loves the frosting. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I also have tried your lemon cheesecake and that is great also. Thanks again.
    Reafa from Oregon

    reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      Thank you Reafa! So glad your husband enjoyed this cake. And, thanks for making the lemon cheesecake too. It’s one of our favorites! Hope you’re having a beautiful summer. I heard Oregon was experiencing some brutal heat this year. Take care and thanks again!

      reply to this comment >

  6. Chris Scheuer says

    I hope you had someone to share this cake with after all your hard work, Tricia. It is gorgeous, just gorgeous. I'm totally with you about getting nervous about making cake for someone else. I've been asked to do some wedding cakes for friends, oh my goodness, it would stress me out way too much! <br />That's so funny that you took so many pictures, sounds like you had fun though.

    reply to this comment >

  11. Monica says

    That cake is stunning! Can't believe you only make a cake once a year. You're standards are way higher than mine, I can clearly see that! Four layers and so gorgeous. : ) The pictures really do the cake justice. Happy belated birthday – your daughter is so thoughtful and sweet!! 🙂

    reply to this comment >

  13. Tanna at The Brick Street Bungalow says

    Oh, Tricia, HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!! Your Allie sounds amazingly thoughtful and sweet. Like her Momma. <br /><br />I had to smile with your carrot cake recipe… I'll be saving it especially for my Little Roo. He had (shame on me… store bought) carrot cake roll every morning for breakfast while at the beach. He would take my hand and lead me to "that" and enjoy himself two

    reply to this comment >

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