Chef notes

I followed the Preppy Kitchen recipe from YouTube for this one. His channel is one of the first ones that got me into baking and I still use his recipes a lot. The cake is super moist from the oil and all the grated carrots, and you can't really taste the carrots, they just make it good. I wrapped wet cake strips around the pans and both layers came out totally flat, no domes to trim off. It really works. Cream cheese frosting in the middle and all over, plus a little carrot I piped on top with orange and green frosting.

Ingredients

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour (300g)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1⅓ cups vegetable oil (320ml)
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar (220g)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups grated carrots, from about 1 pound (315g)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (120g)
• 8 oz block cream cheese, room temperature (frosting)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (frosting)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (frosting)
• 4–5 cups powdered sugar (frosting)

Recipe

1. 1.CAKE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans with baking spray or butter, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. 2.Soak cake strips in water and wrap one around each pan. They keep the layers flat and even while they bake instead of doming in the middle.
3. 3.In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. 4.In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir together just until combined and only a few streaks of flour remain.
5. 5.Fold the carrots and pecans into the batter. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
6. 6.Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake layers to cool completely in the pans set on a wire cooling rack. Once cooled, invert the layers and remove the parchment paper.
7. 7.FROSTING: In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until very soft and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the cream cheese and beat until fluffy, about 30 seconds.
8. 8.With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the powdered sugar. (Use more sugar for a firmer, sweeter frosting.) Once combined, scrape down the bowl and add the vanilla. Beat on medium-low speed until fluffy and easily spreadable, about 1 minute.
9. 9.ASSEMBLY: Place one cooled cake layer top-side up on a cake stand or serving platter and spread ¾ cup of frosting over the top, all the way to the edge of the cake. Place the other cake layer top-side down on top. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and side of the cake.
10. 10.If you desire, you can save some of the frosting to pipe decorations onto the cake or press chopped toasted pecans onto the frosting. Chill the cake for 30 minutes to set the frosting before slicing. Keep leftovers covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.
11. 11.TIP: Peel your carrots before grating them. The peels can be a bit bitter, so the carrots will actually taste sweeter if you peel them first.
12. 12.TIP: Let the cake layers cool completely before frosting. If the cake is still warm, the cream cheese frosting can melt, causing the top cake layer to slide right off!
13. 13.TIP: Chill the cake before slicing. It sets the frosting, keeps the layers in place, and reduces messy crumbs when you cut, so you end up with picture-perfect slices!
14. 14.TIP: Cut the cake with a serrated knife. Because of the chunky additions to the cake batter, a serrated knife does a better job of cutting through the cake cleanly.

Nutrition

Calories: 629 kcal · Carbohydrates: 74g · Protein: 5g · Fat: 36g · Saturated fat: 11g · Polyunsaturated fat: 13g · Monounsaturated fat: 10g · Trans fat: 1g · Cholesterol: 77mg · Sodium: 308mg · Potassium: 168mg · Fiber: 2g · Sugar: 57g · Vitamin A: 4437 IU · Vitamin C: 1mg · Calcium: 69mg · Iron: 2mg

More photos