Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake

Cakes & Muffins, Desserts
Classics

Serves 8-12

This is based on a recipe from the long-defunct Apple Annie’s Tea Room and Bakery in San Antonio, although I’ve made changes over the years to accommodate our preferences. It makes a tall, large three-layer cake that you’ll be proud to serve. Devon loves carrot cake, and we think this one is excellent.

Although I haven’t done it, I’m pretty sure you could bake this in two layers (you might need 2” deep pans), in which case you’d have enough frosting to generously ice the sides as well.

Ingredients #

  • For the Cake: #

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 tsp baking soda
    • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
    • ¾ tsp salt
    • 3 cups grated carrots (you can grate the carrots very quickly in a food processor fitted with a grating disk)
    • 1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple, very well drained
    • 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
    • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
    • ½ cup golden raisins (plumped in a bit of dark rum if you like)
    • 2 cups sugar
    • 1 cup vegetable oil
    • 4 large eggs
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • For the Frosting: #

    • 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
    • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 1 lb (3 3/4 cups) confectioners’ sugar
    • 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (to taste)
    • Toasted finely chopped pecans or toasted coconut, for topping (optional)

  • Equipment: #

    • Three 9” round cake pans.

Instructions #

Make the Cake: #

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour three 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottoms with rounds of baking parchment.

Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, pineapple, chopped nuts, coconut and raisins.

Working in a mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a whisk, beat the sugar and oil together until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until very smooth. Mix in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low (or switch to a large rubber spatula if working by hand), and gently stir in the flour mixture —just until the dry ingredients disappear. Gently fold in the carrot mixture.

Divide the batter among the baking pans and put in the oven, placing two cakes on the top rack and one below. Bake the cakes for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The cakes are properly baked when a knife inserted into the centers of the cakes comes out clean; the cakes will just start to come away from the edges. Transfer the pans to cooling racks, cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool to room temperature. (At this point, the cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months; thaw before frosting.)

Make the Frosting: #

Working in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the lemon juice. Divide the frosting in half.

Assemble the Cake: #

To frost the cake, place one layer of the cake, right-side up, on a cardboard round or a cake plate. Use half of the first half of the frosting to generously cover the first layer. Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake top-side down. Frost with the remainder of the first half of the frosting. Top with the last layer, right-side up and use the other half of the frosting to cover the top — and the sides, if you want – of the cake. Finish the top layer with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle on these ingredients now, while the frosting is soft. Slide the cake into the refrigerator for 15 minutes, just to set the frosting.

Serving: #

The cake can be served as soon as the frosting is set. It can also wait, at room temperature and covered with a cake keeper, overnight. The cake is best served in thick slices at room temperature

Storing: #

Covered the cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can also be frozen, uncovered, and then, when it is firmed, wrapped airtight and kept in the freezer for up to 2 months; defrost, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight.