| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr 15 min |
| Prep: | 50 min |
| Inactive: | 1 hr |
| Cook: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 12 to 16 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted after measuring
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground Ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups peanut oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups finely grated carrots
- 1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped, not too finely
- Frosting, recipe follows
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 24 ounces cream cheese, chilled
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly butter and flour the cake pans.
- Put the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and cocoa in a mixing bowl, and whisk together to blend. Put the sugars in a large mixing bowl, and whisk in the peanut oil. Then whisk in the eggs, 1 at a time, followed by the vanilla. When fully blended, add the flour mixture all at once, and mix just until smooth. Stir in the grated carrots and the pecans. Divide the batter evenly between the 3 cake pans. Drop each pan sharply onto the counter from a height of about 6 inches to remove any air pockets. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the center springs back gently when touched. Remove from the oven and place on cooling racks until completely cooled; then unmold.
- Place 1 of the cake layers, bottom side up, on a cake plate or pedestal. Spoon approximately 1/4 of the frosting onto the layer, and spread it over evenly. Place a second layer, bottom side down, on top of the first, and spread with an equal amount of frosting. Place the final layer, bottom side down, on top of the others and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Store in a cool but not refrigerated area until ready to serve.
- Place the butter in the mixing bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium speed just until the butter begins to become malleable, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream cheese, in pieces, and mix until thoroughly blended. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, and mix until blended. Increase mixer speed slightly, and continue mixing for 2 to 3 minutes, until the frosting becomes light and fluffy. Remove from the mixer, and fold in the pecans.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 14 servings |
| Calories | 820 |
| Total Fat | 64 g |
| Saturated Fat | 21 g |
| Carbohydrates | 57 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 39 g |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Cholesterol | 125 mg |
| Sodium | 454 mg |
Reviews
Love this recipe! Big chunky, chopped pecans in the cake and frosting give it an 1800s sense of authenticity. Great flavor! Plays to great reviews every time.
This recipe is a no fail winner every time! It is not dense as most carrot cake and I think the peanut oil and that tablespoon of cocoa bring the flavor out and amazing. My Granny asked me for the recipe…just saying:)p
This has been my go to Carrot cake recipe since 2004. Never fails and always impresses. Every once in a while I mix things up with nut w/o nuts etc, but the foundation recipe is SOLID and a total winner!!!
The cake was amazing and moist but the icing was a bit runny and had to be kept chilled or the cake would slide apart.
The frosting was superb (although I did add an extra 1/4 c. of confectioners sugar.) The cake texture and moistness was excellent, but the flavor was completely bland…did not taste like carrots. I will not make this cake again.
I added spices and lemon essential oil.
Not only was the cake easy to make, the taste was fantastic. My guests couldn’t believe that it didn’t come from a bakery.
This carrot cake is better than Cheese Cake Factory!! It was quite easy to make and everyone enjoyed it immensely. Give it a try; you absolutely love it.
This Carrot Cake is absolutely fabulous , scumptious for your guest to try during the holiday , You’ll make more friends than ever they would be willing to leap montains for a second slice. Actually you should have this recipe already printed out for them as they walk out the door.
My husband is a very picky eater and loves carrot cake. He really liked this recipe, which wasn’t difficult to make either. The only suggestion I have is to chop the pecans a little more than listed. We wished the nuts were a little smaller. I also didn’t use the nuts in the cream cheese, and I highly recommend that as well. The other reviews were right about the icing…by far the best.