Carrot Cake

The Best Carrot Cake You Will Ever Make

I developed this recipe a long time ago. It was probably the first cake I developed, which gives you a clue as to how easy it is to make. This is by far the most popular recipe among my friends, and when I sold cakes (for a brief minute), this was the most ordered. It is moist, spongy, and full of flavor. To me, most carrot cakes just taste like cinnamon and sugar, which is why it was so crucial for me to develop something with a more robust depth of flavor while staying true to a classic carrot cake. Of course, my version is paired with a creamy and smooth cream cheese frosting - is there even another way? I've seen some versions with chocolate frosting, but who are we kidding? Cream cheese frosting and carrot cake are one of the most iconic duos in history.

Fenway, Boston, MA. Winter 2016

I was sitting on the couch of my apartment, bored out of my mind. Then, after much consideration, I decided to make a cake. I had never been a fan of carrot cakes, in fact, I'm still not a big fan (I only like my carrot cake. This carrot cake), so I don't remember why baking a carrot cake even crossed my mind. I do remember going to Trader Joe's to get my fix of ingredients, going back home, and realizing I had forgotten the most essential component - carrots! Naturally, I went back, hating myself at every second. It was -15°C (5°F) outside.

My oven at the time was old. I had just the necessary kitchen tools because, being a college student, I didn't have the time or money to bake often enough to get superior equipment. I took out my $2 box grater, a flimsy plastic bowl, and a whisk I had bought at Ikea, and started making what would end up being the best carrot cake of all time.

Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my carrot cake recipe.

---

Ingredients

For the cake:

300 g of all-purpose flour

20 g of whole wheat flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

450 g of grated carrots

300 g of granulated sugar

120 g of light brown sugar

4 large eggs

300 ml of olive oil or canola oil

For the frosting:

452 g of cream cheese

115 g of unsalted butter

3 tbsp of sour cream

1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

100 - 150 g of powdered sugar, sifted (*see notes)

Method

For the cake:

STEP 0. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease and flour your cake pan/line your cupcake tin.

STEP 1. Whisk together the dry ingredients: flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

STEP 2. Grate carrots (in your preferred method. It can be on a food processor, by hand with a grater, or however you are used to grate things). I like mine thin and small, so that is how I use them in this recipe. I squeeze them a little bit to get rid of some of the moisture. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.

STEP 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer set with either the whisk or paddle attachment, or in a separate bowl (yes you can do this with a stand mixer, or by hand!) whisk together sugar and eggs at medium/medium-high speed until incorporated.

STEP 4. On medium speed, start adding the oil in a thin and steady stream. If you are using any type of mixer, make sure you are adding the oil along the sides of the bowl. If you add it directly to the mixer attachment the oil will splash everywhere. If you are doing it by hand, you can add the oil in small amounts, thoroughly mixing between each. This step is crucial to the success of your cake because oil tends to separate from other liquids, so you need to make sure it is completely emulsified/incorporated into your batter. Once all the oil has been added, keep mixing on medium-high speed for about 1 or 2 minutes until batter is light in color and has completely emulsified - you do not want the oil to separate later on!

STEP 5. Switch to the paddle attachment (if you were not using it in the previous steps) and carefully add in your dry ingredients and grated carrots in small amounts at the time alternating between each, starting and finishing with the dry ingredients. Make sure your mixer is on the lowest speed possible and DO NOT over mix. If you are using a hand mixer (or if using a stand mixer and want to reduce chances of over mixing), do this step by hand with a spatula and carefully fold in the ingredients.

STEP 6. Transfer batter into your previously prepared cake or cupcake molds and bake in the middle position of your oven for 40 - 45 minutes. I start keeping an eye on the cake at about 30 minutes to make sure it does not over bake. To test if your cake is done, insert a wooden skewer in the middle of the cake and if it comes out with wet batter, is not done yet. If it comes out with a couple of moist crumbs, IT IS READY! Moist crumbs mean your cake will be moist and spongy. If you wait until the skewer comes out completely dry, your cake will be like eating a piece of stale bread - dry and unpleasant.

STEP 7. Let the cake cool completely and then frost it.

For the frosting:

STEP 0. Let all your ingredients come to room temperature before starting.

STEP 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until incorporated and smooth. You can also use a hand mixer. Doing this by hand is a challenge, but its doable.

STEP 2. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until just incorporated to make sure it doesn't fly everywhere. Then, beat on medium-high speed until creamy and smooth.

STEP 3. Transfer to a clean bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to one week. You can also freeze it for future use.

STEP 4. Remove from the fridge and beat in a mixer (or by hand) before frosting the cake to bring it back to a smooth texture.

STEP 5. Frost the cake and enjoy.

Notes on the Recipe

• You might be wondering what does over mixing means and how you can avoid it. Cakes are meant to be delicate, so when over mixing, you are essentially developing the gluten in the flour, which makes the cake lose its delicate texture. Combine your batter just until you can't see any dry flour left. As soon as that happens, stop mixing at all costs.

• I typically bake my carrot cakes the day before serving it. This allows it to cool down and further develop its flavor. I wrap them tightly in plastic wrap (which is recyclable btw) after they have cooled, and transfer them into the fridge overnight, or until I'm ready to assemble it. Refrigerating your cake will make the assembly much more manageable. However, you can just let the cake cool for a couple of hours and frost and serve it the same day. Just make sure your cake is 100% cooled down before you even begin to spread frosting over it.

• * I like my cream cheese frosting to taste more like cream cheese rather than just sugar, so I only add ~100 g of powdered sugar. You can adjust yours to whatever level of sweetness you prefer. Just taste and adjust.

• 

• 

#carrotcake #cake #creamcheesefrosting #baking #dessert