One More Carrot Cake
Hubby asked for a carrot cake for his birthday, so I looked up a recipe. I think I'll be keeping the one I found on the Food & Wine magazine website, but I made a few minor changes.
This cake is moist and substantial without being like a brick. I liked the fact that the original recipe didn't call for pineapple or raisins. I think pineapple makes carrot cake too dense, and raisins? I don't get excited about them, but they could be added if so desired. I do like the chew and taste of the pecans in the cake. They could easily be left out. I added more spices than just cinnamon, too. The frosting originally called for an additional stick of butter. I like a really cream cheesy frosting, so I swapped in another package.
Then I fooled around with candied carrot strips and pecans. I put about a cup of sugar and just enough water to dissolve it in a saucepan, and brought it to a simmer. I dropped in some carrot strips cut with a vegetable peeler and cooked them about 10 minutes. I let them drip dry on a wire rack and rolled them in granulated sugar. They crisped up nicely overnight. It was hard to form them into any kind of shape because they're so flimsy, but it's possible to twist them a little.
Cake
1 cup pecans (4 ounces) plus a few extra whole nuts for garnish
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 pound carrots, peeled and coarsely shredded
Frosting
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar
About 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter three 9-inch cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment. Butter the paper and flour the pans.
2. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes, until fragrant. Cool and finely chop the pecans.
3. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, buttermilk and vanilla. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar at high speed until pale, 5 minutes. Beat in the liquid ingredients. Beat in the dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in the carrots and pecans. Divide the batter between the pans and bake the cakes for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until springy and golden. Let the cakes cool on a rack for 30 minutes, then unmold the cakes and let cool completely.
4. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese at high speed until light, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then the confectioners' sugar and salt; beat at low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5. Peel off the parchment paper and invert one cake layer onto a plate. Spread with a slightly rounded cup of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer, right side up. Repeat with the third layer. Spread the top and sides with the remaining frosting and refrigerate the cake until chilled, about 1 hour. Slice and serve.
This cake is moist and substantial without being like a brick. I liked the fact that the original recipe didn't call for pineapple or raisins. I think pineapple makes carrot cake too dense, and raisins? I don't get excited about them, but they could be added if so desired. I do like the chew and taste of the pecans in the cake. They could easily be left out. I added more spices than just cinnamon, too. The frosting originally called for an additional stick of butter. I like a really cream cheesy frosting, so I swapped in another package.
Then I fooled around with candied carrot strips and pecans. I put about a cup of sugar and just enough water to dissolve it in a saucepan, and brought it to a simmer. I dropped in some carrot strips cut with a vegetable peeler and cooked them about 10 minutes. I let them drip dry on a wire rack and rolled them in granulated sugar. They crisped up nicely overnight. It was hard to form them into any kind of shape because they're so flimsy, but it's possible to twist them a little.
Cake
1 cup pecans (4 ounces) plus a few extra whole nuts for garnish
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 pound carrots, peeled and coarsely shredded
Frosting
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar
About 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter three 9-inch cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment. Butter the paper and flour the pans.
2. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes, until fragrant. Cool and finely chop the pecans.
3. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, buttermilk and vanilla. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar at high speed until pale, 5 minutes. Beat in the liquid ingredients. Beat in the dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in the carrots and pecans. Divide the batter between the pans and bake the cakes for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until springy and golden. Let the cakes cool on a rack for 30 minutes, then unmold the cakes and let cool completely.
4. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese at high speed until light, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then the confectioners' sugar and salt; beat at low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5. Peel off the parchment paper and invert one cake layer onto a plate. Spread with a slightly rounded cup of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer, right side up. Repeat with the third layer. Spread the top and sides with the remaining frosting and refrigerate the cake until chilled, about 1 hour. Slice and serve.