Welcome Spring by baking our crowd-wowing Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Extra steps (like soaking the raisins in rum or brandy overnight and toasting the walnuts and coconut ahead of time) are optional but will elevate your cake game considerably. If preparing for a special occasion (like Easter or Mother's Day), we also recommend, budget allowing, splashing out on a good bottle of vanilla bean paste for the batter and the frosting -- a most welcomed addition. This dense and hefty batter is fairly fool-proof, but requires the use of two 9-INCH ROUND CAKE PANS (or one 9x13 pan) -- 8-inch round pans will make a certain disaster of your oven. This completed cake freezes well on its own, but the layers can also be baked ahead of time and, if properly wrapped, are easily revived to be frosted prior to serving.
Optional prep:
1. The night before, soak raisins in a couple tablespoons of rum or brandy to plump them up.
2. Taking care not to scorch them, toast coconut flakes and walnuts in a dry skillet until slightly golden and just beginning to turn fragrant. Cool until needed.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
1. Prepare two 9-inch round cake pans by buttering, lining with parchment paper, buttering again, and then, dusting with flour.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the sugars, oil, and eggs together until creamy and light yellow in color. Add vanilla paste.
3. In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients: flour, spices, baking soda, and salt.
4. If you soaked your raisins in rum or brandy overnight to plump them, drain them now. Mix the raisins with the walnuts and toss with 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour to keep them from sinking into the batter. Mix in coconut, carrots, and drained pineapple. Fold into the batter.
5. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet batter and mix well to combine.
6. Divide the batter equally between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Better to slightly undercook, however, to ensure a moist cake. Let the cakes cool completely in their own pans until ready to frost.
7. In the meantime, prepare the frosting: In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the room temperature cream cheese and butter until combined. Add sugar, little-by-little (you may not need it all), and mix until smooth and desired consistency is reached. Stir in vanilla paste.
8. Place one (completely cooled) cake layer flat-side up, and with an offset spatula, spread with frosting. Place second layer, rounded side up, on top and frost top and sides. Decorate (optional) with additional walnuts, coconut, or pineapple, as desired.
This is a dense and hefty batter that requires the use of two 9-INCH ROUND CAKE PANS (or one 9x13 pan) -- 8-inch round pans will make a certain disaster of your oven.
View line-by-line Nutrition Insights™: Discover which ingredients contribute the calories/sodium/etc.
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Serving Size: 1 Serving (282g) | ||
Recipe Makes: 10 Servings | ||
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Calories: 870 | ||
Calories from Fat: 527 (61%) | ||
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Amt Per Serving | % DV | |
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Total Fat 58.6g | 78 % | |
Saturated Fat 34.4g | 172 % | |
Monounsaturated Fat 13.3g | ||
Polyunsanturated Fat 6.3g | ||
Cholesterol 177.6mg | 55 % | |
Sodium 678.7mg | 23 % | |
Potassium 420mg | 11 % | |
Total Carbohydrate 86.7g | 26 % | |
Dietary Fiber 4.7g | 19 % | |
Sugars, other 82g | ||
Protein 7.6g | 11 % | |
Powered by: USDA Nutrition Database Disclaimer: Nutrition facts are derived from linked ingredients (shown at left in colored bullets) and may or may not be complete. Always consult a licensed nutritionist or doctor if you have a nutrition-related medical condition. |
Calories per serving: 870
Get detailed nutrition information, including item-by-item nutrition insights, so you can see where the calories, carbs, fat, sodium and more come from.
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