Our classic carrot cake is nicely spiced with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and has toasted pecans both in the cake and on top. Plumped golden raisins and a full pound of carrots make it nice and moist while buttermilk lends tang and tenderness. Our homemade cream-cheese frosting has just the right amount of sweetness.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 4 hr |
| Active: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 10 servings |
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1 1/2 cups pecans
- 1 pound carrots, peeled, coarsely grated
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Four 8-ounce blocks cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- For the cake: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds and lightly coat the paper with spray.
- Cover the raisins with very hot water and let sit until plump, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
- Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, and then chop 1 cup of the pecans; reserve for the cake batter. Pulse the remaining 1/2 cup pecans in a food processor until very finely ground; reserve for garnish.
- Combine the carrots and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Beat the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until pale and thick, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually stream in the oil. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the carrot mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. Fold in the raisins and chopped pecans with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
- Bake the cakes, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cakes cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cakes and invert onto the rack. Remove the parchment and let the cakes cool completely.
- For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and gradually mix in the confectioner’ sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until the frosting until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- To assemble the cake: When the cakes are completely cool, trim the domes of each cake round with a large serrated knife so the tops are flat. Place one cake, cut-side down, on a platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the frosting evenly over top. Place the remaining cake, cut-side down, on top. Spread the top with another 1 1/2 cups of the frosting. Frost the sides of the cake with another 1 1/2 cups frosting and smooth out completely to make an even crumb coat (It’s ok if some of the cake shows through. This is just a base layer.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the frosting set.
- Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake, swirling decoratively if desired. Sprinkle with the finely ground pecans.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 1419 |
| Total Fat | 93 g |
| Saturated Fat | 38 g |
| Carbohydrates | 138 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 105 g |
| Protein | 14 g |
| Cholesterol | 248 mg |
| Sodium | 907 mg |
Reviews
Served to my father-in laws for the first time. They hated me after I gave them it, as it was so dense and sticky. Now my in-laws hate me
This cake tasted REALLY good!!! Was a little dense so might cut back on oil next time.
Good dessert, but nothing out of this world. Carrot cake was a little bland. Lemon cheese cake was a nice touch and went well with the carrot cake, but overall the dish seemed a little confused.
Haven’t made it, however I know what goes into a carrot cake and this recipe is outrageous. At least I’m smart enough not to make it….yikes!!!
The best EVER carrot cake is one that sadly is no longer on this site. It is Grandma Heirs’ Carrot Cake by Paula Deen. She was *canceled* by FN a while ago and they got rid of all her wonderful recipes. You can find the recipe elsewhere online.
We we not pleased with how this cake turned out. The texture was very dense and gluey however it tasted okay. The sponge did not rise at all while baking. The frosting called for too much cream cheese and ended up quite greasy. I cut the frosting amount by half and easily had enough to cover 2 -9 inch layers with extra. On to the next carrot cake recipe please
Very dense and has no flavor. Tasted like we were eating bread with icing on it. Don’t make this cake!!!!
Yes
This cake was pretty good, it came out more dense than a Cake should be but still very yummy, there was sooooo much frosting I recommend using half of the frosting recipe. The directions were a little confusing but other than that it was a pretty awesome cake
This is a spice cake with carrots not a carrot cake. Raisins?!