Classic Carrot Cake With Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting - Brenda Gantt (2024)

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Brenda Gantt

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• Cake

• By recipeshub
• May 3, 2023

The flavors of this moist cake only improve with time, so feel free to bake and frost the cake up to a few days ahead.

YIELDS: o n e 9 inch layer cake

SERVES: 1 2 t o 1 4

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CAKE

• 1 cup canola, corn, or vegetable oil; more for the pans
• 2 cups (9 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp. table salt
• 4 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups (8 1/2 oz.) lightly packed, finely grated carrots
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

FOR THE FROSTING

• 1 lb. cream cheese, softened
• 12 oz. (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 lb. (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar
• 4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp. table salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

MAKE THE CAKE

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
2. Lightly oil and flour the sides of two 9×2-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
4. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the oil, eggs, carrots, brown sugar, walnuts, raisins, and vanilla on medium speed until well blended, about 1 minute.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just blended, about 30 seconds.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
7. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes or until the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly pressed and a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean.
8. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edge of the pans to loosen the cakes, invert them onto the rack, remove the pans, and carefully peel away the parchment.
9. Set the cakes aside to cool completely before frosting.

MAKE THE FROSTING

1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with the mixer on medium speed until very smooth and creamy, about1 minute.
2. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat on medium high until blended and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Cover the frosting and set aside at room temperature until the layers are completely cool.

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE

1. Carefully set one cake upside down on a large, flat serving plate.
2. Using a metal spatula, evenly spread about 1 1/2 cups of the frosting over the top of the cake.
3. Top with the remaining cake layer, upside down.
4. Spread a thin layer (about 1/3 cup) of frosting over the entire cake to seal in any crumbs and fill in any gaps between layers.
5. Refrigerate until the frosting is cold and firm, about 20 minutes.
6. Spread the entire cake with the remaining frosting.
7. Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. The cake is best served slightly chilled or at room temperature.

HOW TO ICE THE CAKE:

• Set a cake plate on a rotating cake stand or lazy Susan.
• Position your first layer of cake upside down on the plate. If necessary, level the cake layer with a long serrated knife. Slide strips of parchment or waxed paper under the edge of the cake to keep the plate clean as you frost.
• Gently brush any crumbs from the cake. Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting across the surface of the cake in an even layer.
• Place the second cake layer on the frosting, aligning the layers in a perfectly vertical column. If using split layers that were cut unevenly, match the layers so the cake stays flat. If the cake is three or more layers, continue to fill between the layers, ending with the top layer unfrosted.
• Frosting the cake is easier if you first seal the crumbs in a thin layer of frosting, called a crumb coat. With an offset spatula, spread about 1/2 cup of frosting in a thin, even layer over all of the cake. Smooth any frosting protruding between the layers and use that extra frosting as part of the crumb coat. It’s fine if the cake is still visible through the thin crumb coat. Refrigerate the cake to firm up the crumb coat, about 20 minutes.
• Spread the remaining frosting evenly over the chilled crumb coat. Once the cake is frosted, you can decorate the surface in a variety of ways, using a spoon or offset spatula to create swoops or stripes. If you prefer a smooth look, dip the spatula in hot water, wipe it dry, and hold it against the surface as you rotate the cake. Keep dipping the spatula in water and wiping it dry.

PER SERVING:

840CALORIES | 8g PROTEIN | 86g CARB | 54g TOTALFAT | 22g SAT FAT |
20g MONOFAT | 9g POLYFAT | 150mg CHOL | 550mg SODIUM | 2g FIBER