Carrot Cake
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CARROT CAKE INGREDIENTS
675g (1 1/2lb) carrots
550g (4 1/2c) all purpose flour
20g (4 t) baking powder
10g (2 t) baking soda
20g (4t) salt
8g (2 1/2t) cinnamon
3g (1t) ground ginger
3g (1t) ground nutmeg
400g (2c) white sugar
300g (1 1/3c) brown sugar
350g (1 2/3c) vegetable or olive oil
20g (4 1/2t) vanilla extract
8 lrg eggs
250g (1c) unsweetened applesauce
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
675g (3 8oz blocks) cream cheese, room temp
2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, room temp
10g (2 1/2 t) vanilla extract
7g (1 1/4 t) salt
50g (1/4 c) sour cream
375g (3c) powdered sugar
25g (3 T) cornstarch
8oz toasted chopped pecans
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Peel & shred carrots using food processor with grating attachment or by hand with a box grater. Run a knife through the shredded carrots to break them down further.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugars, oil, vanilla, eggs, & applesauce. Mix until well combined.
5. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the stand mixer bowl. Mix on medium-low until no lumps remain.
6. Mix in shredded carrots until evenly distributed in the batter, scraping down sides once.
7. Divide batter evenly between two 9" springform pans lined with parchment paper on bottom, sprayed with pan spray, & placed on a sheet tray
8. Bake in preheated oven, 60-70 min or until a cake tester comes out clean.
9. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans for about an hour then cover and freeze for 30 min - 2 hours to firm.
10. While the cakes cool, prepare frosting. In a mixing bowl, combine room temperature cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, salt, & sour cream. Whip until smooth & creamy.
11. Add powdered sugar & cornstarch, mixing for about a minute smooth and lump-free.
12. Refrigerate the frosting in a ziploc or piping bag to set while preparing the cakes.
13. Remove the cooled cakes from the pans and trim off the top and bottom to create flat surfaces. Place a bowl or other round thing that’s just smaller than the cakes on top and use it as a guide to cut off the edges of the cakes, creating vertical sides.
14. Freeze for 15-20 more minutes to firm
15. Place cake on a cake decorating turntable (or a flat plate). Apply a dab of frosting directly to the turntable to keep cake from moving. Swirl a ½” layer of frosting on top and spread in a flat layer from edge to edge. Add cake 2 on top.
16. Apply a thin layer of frosting all over the stacked cakes to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate or freeze the cakes for 25 minutes to set the crumb coat.
17. After cooling, apply a generous layer of cream cheese frosting to the cakes, ensuring even coverage.
18. Press toasted chopped pecans onto the sides of the cake Scrape off any excess pecans from the bottom edge of the cake.
