HOMEMADE CARROT CAKE
Homemade carrot cake is a classic dessert that never goes out of style, and has been enjoyed by my family for years.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 595kcal
Ingredients
Carrot cake
- 2 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (7 g) baking powder
- 2 teaspoons (14 g) ground cinnamon
- 1 ¾ brown (341 g) sugar packed
- 1 cup (240 g) vegetable oil
- 3 large (150 g) eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract
- 2 cups (334 g) carrots grated + 3 small peeled carrots for decoration
- ½ cup (75 g) walnuts roughly chopped + extra for decoration
- 1 teaspoon (8 g) orange zest optional
Cream cheese frosting
- 8 oz (225 g)cream cheese full fat & room temperature
- ½ cup (125 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375 g) powdered confectioner sugar
- 1-2 drops lemon juice
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F /180 °C. And grease two 8-inch cake pans with non-stick spray or butter, and line the bottom of the pans with round parchment paper. Oven rack in middle position.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (except sugar) : all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set the bowl aside.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until creamy and well combined. Add oil and mix on low speed, until combined. Add vanilla extract and mix it in.
- Sift the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two parts, whisking until just combined after each addition.
- Fold in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts into the batter until evenly distributed.
- Pour the batter into the two prepared cake pans and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the cream cheese frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy using a hand electric mixer.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, and beat until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, zest from the lemon and a few drops of lemon juice. Beat until well combined. Adjust the sweetness to your liking by adding more sugar.
- Beat the frosting on high speed for an additional 1–2 minutes until it is light and fluffy.
Assemble the cake
- Use a serrated knife to level the tops of each cake layer, so they are flat and even.
- Spread a small thin layer of frosting on the bottom cake layer and place it on the cake plate. This helps to hold the cake in place. Spread about 1/4 of the cream cheese frosting on the top of the cake, using an offset spatula.
- Place the second cake layer on top of the first and press down gently to adhere.
- Apply 1/2 of the frosting to the top of the cake, using an offset spatula to spread it evenly.
- Use an offset spatula to apply the rest of the frosting to the sides of the cake, starting at the top and working your way down.
- Use a bench scraper or straight edge to smooth the frosting on the sides and top of the cake. Decorate with chopped walnuts and extra peeled carrots as seen on the picture.
Notes
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes: For cupcakes, line a cupcake pan with 12 cavities and bake for 15 to 18 minutes (or until the toothpick inserted into the centre of one comes out clean). Let the carrot cupcakes cool for a few minutes in the cupcake pan before transferring them to a cooling rack. Pipe the cream cheese frosting on top of the carrot cupcakes and sprinkle with chopped walnuts
- Carrot Bundt Cake: Use a 10-12 cup generously greased Bundt cake pan & bake for 55–60 minutes (or until the toothpick inserted into the centre of one comes out clean).
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided for this recipe are only estimates. I am not a nutritionist nor dietitian and cannot provide you with accurate nutritional values.