If you are like me, I was not a huge fan of carrot cake. Every time I plucked up the courage to try a piece, it was always dense, too moist, waaaay too sweet. And I had decided that I was not missing out by completely swearing off carrot cake. Then I met my husband, whose favorite cake is – yeah, carrot cake. (In fact, on our wedding day, I surprised him by making one of the layers a carrot cake and having him cut that layer with me. He was sooo surprised and overwhelmed : D).
Being more of a cook than a baker, and not really having a sweet tooth, I never baked. I met my husband, who seemed to be content with an IV of sugar constantly dripping into his veins, and I thought it would be good for me to learn how to bake. When I received a Kitchen Aid Mixer as a wedding present, I knew that I could not shy away from trying my hand at baking. I found this recipe in the Williams-Sonoma Cakes book and knew I had to try it.
It is the BEST carrot cake recipe I have ever tasted and I now love this carrot cake!!! I thought this would be a great recipe to share with all of you. Go ahead and bake it and I dare you to not like it : D. Here is a photo of one of mine. (I tried to copy the book as much as I could.)
Ingredients:
Unsalted butter and flour for preparing the pans
For the cake:
2 cups (10 oz/315 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs
2 cups (1lb/500 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup canola oil
2 cups finely grated carrots
1 can crushed pineapple in its own juice, well drained
1 cup of finely chopped walnuts
For the cream cheese frosting:
1/2 lb (250 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup (6 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)
For the topping:
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Makes one 9-in cake or 12 servings.
1. Preheat the oven and prepare the pans:
Position a rack in the lower middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees Farenheit (180 degrees C). Butter two 9-inch round layer cake pans. Line the pans with parchment paper. Butter the paper, sprinkle it lightly with flour and then tap out the excess flour. ( Note: I did not have parchment paper when I made then and I had no problems getting the cakes out of the pan.)
2. Mix the cake batter:
Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt through a fine-mesh sieve placed over a medium bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and granulated sugar. Fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand held mixer with twin beaters. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until it thickens and the color lightens slightly, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the vanilla extract. Slowly pour in the oil, mixing just until blended, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and mixjust until no white streaks are visible. Add the carrots, pineapple, and finely chopped walnuts and mix until evenly distributed, 1-2 minutes.
3. Bake and cool the layers:
Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it up evenly and lightly smoothing the tops. bake until the tops look evenly browned, feel firm to the touch, and a thin skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, 30-35 minutes. Using pot holders, transfer the cakes to wire racks and let cool for 20 mins. Working with 1 pan at a time, run a thin knife along the inside of the pan. Invert a wire rack on the pan and invert together, Lift off the pan and peel off the parchment. Invert another wire rack on the cake and invert the racks together, so the cake is top side up. Lift off the top rack. Let the cake cool completely on the rack, about 45 mins. Do this for both cakes.
4. Frost and serve the cake:
Use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer or the twin beaters on a hand held mixer to mix the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Transfer 1 cake layer to a plate. Using an icing spatula, spread about one half of the frosting evenly over the cake. Center the second layer on top. Wipe the spatula clean, then spread about one-fourth of the frosting in a thin layer over the top and sides of the cake. Wipe the spatula clean and spread the remaining frosting in a smooth layer over the top and sides of the cake. Top the cake with coarsely shopped walnuts. Cut the cake into 12 wedges and serve right away.
You will love it!
