Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot cake is a popular cake and many people's favorite kind of cake including my sister-in-law's so I decided to make one for her birthday party last night. When making a cake, the first decision is what kind of pan to use, a 9 x 13 inch rectangle pan, round layer cake pans or a bundt cake pan. At least, those are the three kind of cakes I usually make. When it comes to birthdays, I always picture a round layer cake with candles on top! It just seems like a tradition. Carrot cake is often made in a rectangle pan but since this was a birthday cake, I made it in round, layer cake pans. This shape is also a little more fancy for a special occasion…like a birthday. This recipe is from Martha Stewart who makes it just the way we like it, a mildly spiced multiple layer cake with a generous amount of cream cheese frosting. And I just happened to have some cute little carrot cake sprinkles to decorate the top. You can usually find these as Easter cake decorations.

Serves 10-12

2-1/2 all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
2 cups pecans (1 cup finely chopped for batter, 1 cups coarsely chopped for decorating sides of cake)
1 pound carrots or 2-3/4 cups (8-10 medium), peeled and shredded on a box grater. I think it is best to just grate the carrots by hand with a box grater because if you use a food processor, it is easy to over do it and end up with carrot pulp swimming in carrot water or get the other extreme and end up with too thick carrot pieces

The Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper and butter parchment. Dust with flour, tapping out excess.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.

3. Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat 3 minutes.

4. Add vanilla, water and carrots.

5. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and flour mixture, then add finely chopped pecans.

6. Scrape batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly.

7. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

8. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

9. Run a knife around edges of cake to loosen and turn out cakes onto a rack. Turn right side up and let cool completely.

10. With a serrated knife, trim rounded top of 2 cakes. Place one trimmed cake, cut side up, on a serving platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake. Top with second trimmed cake, cut side down. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake. Top with remaining cake. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides.

11. Gently press coarsely chopped pecans onto sides of cake using a knife.

Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

The Frosting

I made the frosting using buttermilk powder to reinforce a tangy flavor of the cream cheese and stiff enough to hold several layers of cake (do not substitute liquid buttermilk) and make sure the cream cheese is cold for easy spreading.

1 cup (16 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup buttermilk powder
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
12 ounces cream cheese, chilled and cut into 12 equal pieces

1. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat butter, sugar, buttermilk powder, vanilla, and salt on low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.

2. Increase speed to medium-low; add cream cheese, 1 piece at a time; and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Add a birthday greetings and this carrot cake is ready for a party

or simply decorate with a few carrot curls.

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