Mini SGCC has a boyfriend. He’s actually been around for almost a year now, but I wasn’t allowed to blog about it. I’m still not, but I have to because otherwise there would be no story to tell about this cake. And, this cake is too wonderful not to share with you. So, tough beans, Mini SGCC. Sue me!
Anyway, The Boy’s birthday was the other day. I thought it would be nice to bake him a little birthday cake, since he’s over for dinner almost every night anyway. Besides, he’s kinda starting to grow on me. From a little subtle investigating, I discovered that his favorite kind of cake is carrot cake. It just so happens that carrot cake is one of my favorites too, which worked out nicely since I hate to bake things that I don’t personally like. I mean, why put all that time and energy into something that you don’t love yourself – unless, of course, someone is paying you. That’s a different story. I’d even bake a Brussels sprouts cake if you paid me. Well, maybe not. But, you get the point.
I was planning to use my standard “go to” carrot cake recipe, but I thought I’d sniff around the web to see what else was out there. I’m glad I did, because I found a few that looked simply fantastic. In the end, I went with a recipe I found on Zoe’s site, which was adapted from The Essential Baker by Carole Bloom. Zoe calls it “the ultimate carrot cake”, and I’m here to tell you that she’s right!
Zoe’s cake boasted three layers filled with decadent cream cheese frosting. I was on a time deadline, so mine only has two. If you can, go for the extra layer. More cream cheese frosting is definitely a goal to aspire to. Zoe also decorated the outside of her cake with coconut. I didn’t because I didn’t have any. Also, Mini SGCC doesn’t really like coconut, and I want to stay on her good side, (especially because she might get pissed about me writing this post). And by the way, no cracks about my cake decorating skills allowed. There’s a reason why I’m not a pastry chef.
To make this cake, the first thing you have to do is grate about a pound of carrots up in the food processor. You can also do this by hand, but you might end up with some bloody knuckles. Don’t ask me how I know this. I just do. Then mix together all of your dry ingredients in one bowl, and all of your wet ingredients in another. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and then mix in the carrots, some raisins, nuts and if you’re me, some crushed pineapple.
It should look like this.
Once your batter is all mixed up, pour half in each of two lightly oiled 9-inch cake pans lined with parchment paper. This will make things much easier when you try to remove the cakes from the pans.
All ready to go into the oven…
Bake the cakes until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. My cakes took about 40 minutes to get there.
Let your cakes cool completely before attempting to “de-pan” them. I know that it’s hard to wait, but trust me on this one.
While your cakes were in the oven you should have been whipping up your delectable cream cheese frosting. If not, hurry and make it now. I’ll wait.
Now, here is where I would ordinarily show you a shot of me frosting the cake. But I was using my brand new 5D Mark 2, and there was no way I was going to risk getting cream cheese frosting on that baby! So, you’ll have to use your imagination for that step.
First, dump a big blob of frosting on the bottom layer of the cake and schmear it all over the top with an offset spatula. Then, c.a.r.e.f.u.l.l.y. set the top layer of the cake on top. Dump enough frosting on to cover the top and sides and then smooth it out as best you can. I have one of those cake turntables that swivels around, and it makes this step a whole lot easier. No mater how hard I try, I can never get the frosting completely smooth. If you’re like me, just swirl the frosting around a little and tell everybody that it’s supposed to be “rustic” . No one will know the truth except you and me – and my lips are sealed.
TA DA! CAKE!
Remember, no cracks about my cake decorating skills!
Here’s a gratuitous “art shot” of the frosting that I decided to throw in – just because.
Anyway, this cake is now officially my new “go to” carrot cake. It is incredibly moist, rich and lightly spiced, yet not too sweet. Many carrot cakes have the dubious distinction of being as dense and heavy as bricks. Not this one. It’s crumb is fluffy and tender, just like a good cake should be. And, the frosting? Well, it’s full of cream cheese, butter and sugar. It’s divine! What more can I say?
So, what did The Boy think? I think he liked it. There might have been a bit of groaning going on in between forkfuls of cake. But, that might have been Mr. SGCC. I’m not really sure.
Ultimate Carrot Cake
adapted from The Essential Baker via Zoe Bakes
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 extra large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
2/3 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 pound finely grated carrots
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
1 cup golden raisins
1 batch Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by lightly coating with oil and lining with parchment paper.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and nutmeg together in a bowl. Set aside.
Mix the eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, brown sugar, vanilla, and pineapple together in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Stir in the carrots, pecans and raisins just until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake on the center rack for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
Cool cakes in their pans for at least 30 minutes before attempting to remove them. Then, removed from the pans and peel off the parchment paper. Continue to cool the cakes completely before frosting.
To assemble the cake, place the bottom layer on a cardboard round or other flat surface and put on a cake turntable. Scoop about 1 1/2 cups of the cream cheese icing onto the top of the bottom cake layer. Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting evenly over the surface. Carefully place the second layer on top. Scoop another 1 1/2 cups or so of the frosting on the top of the cake and spread evenly, easing the frosting down the sides. Spread the icing around the sides of the cake, adding more as needed. Lift the cake off the turn table and place on a cake stand or platter and chill a bit to firm up the frosting before slicing.
SGCC’S Favorite Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar to taste
Directions:
Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add extracts and beat just until incorporated. Beat in sugar, one cup at a time, until frosting has the flavor and consistency you want. You may not need to add all of the sugar.
Enjoy!
Filed Under: Baking, Cakes and Cupcakes, Recipes
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On January 07, 2011 at 1:07pm, Kristen said...
Oh he’s a cutie and that cake looks pretty darn fantastic too!
On January 07, 2011 at 7:30pm, Susan said...
Thanks, Kristen! He is pretty cute.
On January 07, 2011 at 1:12pm, Liz @ Blog is the New Black said...
Lucky boy, getting a cake!
On January 07, 2011 at 1:28pm, Karen@Mignardise said...
Absolutely adorable couple!
And the cake looks sooooo good too. You’re nice to do that for him.
I wish my daughter would get a boyfriend!
On January 07, 2011 at 11:04pm, Susan said...
No, you don’t! Be careful what you wish for.
On January 07, 2011 at 1:32pm, jen @ onecurlyfry said...
Oh my goodness, this looks delish!! I wish I wasn’t the only one in my house that liked Carrot Cake. I could probably eat this entire cake myself! LOL
On January 07, 2011 at 1:32pm, Rosa said...
Lucky boyfriend! That cake looks fantastic indeed. What a cute couple.
Cheers,
Rosa
On January 07, 2011 at 1:54pm, Rachelle said...
They are a cute couple! =) Happy Birthday to him! Your cake looks divine, and I love how you were able to write in caramel, even on a rustic look!
(btw, can I ask where you get your cake pans? I’m looking for new ones that have straight edges like that.)
On January 07, 2011 at 11:05pm, Susan said...
Thanks! The cake pans came from Williams-Sonoma. They have them in 6, 8, 9 and 10-inch sizes.
On January 07, 2011 at 2:50pm, Maria said...
The cake looks perfect!
On January 07, 2011 at 2:50pm, Ronda said...
This cake sounds wonderful, and I think your frosting skills are perfect! You have a beautiful daughter too!
XO
On January 07, 2011 at 11:06pm, Susan said...
Awww, shucks! Thank you.
On January 07, 2011 at 2:59pm, Peter said...
Susan, the photos are pretty damn convincing…I bow!
On January 07, 2011 at 11:06pm, Susan said...
Thank you, kind sir!
On January 07, 2011 at 3:15pm, Phyllis Kirigin said...
Wow! Looks like not only a “go to” carrot cake but a “must go to.” If I see a recipe I want to try, I look over the ingredients to see what I have on hand and what I would have to pick up. I was thinking about what I might possibly substitute for the orange extract, and I thought of fiori di sicilia , that wonderful essence of citrus and vanilla (actually harder to find, but I happen to have some.) Thanks for this luscious recipe
sweetpaprika.wordpress.com.
On January 07, 2011 at 11:09pm, Susan said...
Oh, fiori di sicilia would be perfect! I can never find it, so I make my own with a blend of vanilla, lemon and orange extracts. Love it for baking!
On January 18, 2011 at 1:01pm, Marta said...
Susan – the Baker’s Catalogue (King Arthur Flour co) sells Fiori di Sicilia.
On January 19, 2011 at 8:19am, Susan said...
Thanks for the tip, Marta! I’ll check that out.
On January 07, 2011 at 3:29pm, Judith Kinney said...
Many years ago I found a recipe for Carrot Cake that had a coconut/pecan filling between the layers (the German chocolate cake icing kind). Try it sometime it’s amazing!
On January 07, 2011 at 11:09pm, Susan said...
I will. Sounds delish!
On January 07, 2011 at 3:44pm, Deborah said...
I have totally been craving a carrot cake and this one looks amazing!
On January 07, 2011 at 4:15pm, Felice - All That's Left Are The Crumbs said...
I do love a good carrot cake so I will be trying this out in the near future.
On January 07, 2011 at 4:16pm, barbara said...
They make a lovely looking couple.
I’ve been craving carrot cake just lately. This looks delicious. I luuuuuurve cream cheese icing.
On January 07, 2011 at 4:36pm, Marie said...
Two beautiful kids, they look good together. Carrot cake is my weakness, I’m having the shakes over here just looking at your GORGEOUS photos!!!
On January 07, 2011 at 11:10pm, Susan said...
Thanks, Marie! They are very cute together.
On January 07, 2011 at 4:51pm, Zoe Francois said...
Oh, your cake does look outrageous! So glad you love it as much as I do and your photos have me craving it!
On January 07, 2011 at 11:11pm, Susan said...
Thank YOU for the inspiration, my friend!
On January 07, 2011 at 6:55pm, bellini valli said...
I must say that carrot cake has been a long time favourite of mine Susan.
On January 07, 2011 at 8:05pm, Holly@Life as a Lofthouse said...
I LOVE carrot cake : ) Everytime I get dessert at Outback steakhouse I order it, everyone makes fun of me, but its sooo good! I cant resisit! : )
On January 07, 2011 at 11:33pm, DIane {createdbydiane.blogspot.com} said...
looks fantastic, carrot cake is one of my favorites!
On January 07, 2011 at 11:37pm, Rene said...
“So, tough beans, Mini SGCC. Sue me! ” HAHAHAHAHA. Oh, that’s exactly what my mother would have said, except it would have been “Cupcake Pirate” instead of Mini SGCC (my mom goes by pirate online cause she likes them).
Your daughter is so cute! Her smile makes me chuckle. Hehe.
On January 13, 2011 at 10:26am, Susan said...
Lol!
On January 08, 2011 at 9:24am, Hannah @ Bake 5 said...
yes this definitely looks like THE go-to carrot cake recipe. it looks utterly deelish.
On January 08, 2011 at 9:45am, brilynn said...
Carrot cake is one of my favourites too, but it might just be because it’s slathered in cream cheese frosting… I could probably eat a piece of cardboard if it were slathered in cream cheese frosting.
On January 13, 2011 at 10:27am, Susan said...
Me too!
On January 09, 2011 at 5:12pm, grace said...
i’ve made my own birthday cake for awhile now, and more often than not, it’s carrot cake. this one looks stellar, susan–sweet gift!
On January 09, 2011 at 5:12pm, MaryBeth said...
The kids are simply adorable….I love carrot cake, this is the best looking recipe I have seen in a great while. I would not turn down a slice of it that is for sure.
On January 09, 2011 at 11:13pm, Bren said...
oh well the Boy is just too cute for words and a good carrot cake is something to definitely talk about!
On January 10, 2011 at 12:08pm, Nic said...
Aw, great looking couple and that cake looks awesome too.
Happy New Year Susan!
On January 13, 2011 at 10:28am, Susan said...
Happy New Year, Nic!
On January 10, 2011 at 11:35pm, Mariko said...
My daughter’s four, but I’m freaked out about future bf’s. You mean I might actually accept them? Make cake for them?
On January 13, 2011 at 10:28am, Susan said...
Sigh… You get used to it. At least you have about 10 years to prepare yourself.
On January 11, 2011 at 8:10am, Amalia said...
Hello there! I have good news!…you’ve been awarded the Stylish Blogger Award!!! Congrats!
So this is what’s up, I really love your blog and decided to give you this award, now you:
1. Make a post and link back to the person who awarded you this award
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers so we can share the love
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won!
Always the best,
Amalia, from ButterSweetMelody
http://buttersweetmelody.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/feel-the-style/
On January 13, 2011 at 10:30am, Susan said...
Why thank you, Amalia! I’m flattered! I’ll check it out and hopefully get to it this weekend.
On January 11, 2011 at 12:38pm, zahra said...
hi : i am zahra
i am from saudi arabia
thank you very much
for the cooking and
i love you cooking
On January 11, 2011 at 12:42pm, zahra said...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=100001629956494&aid=22325
my cooking
On January 11, 2011 at 9:43pm, Betty @ scrambled hen fruit said...
This cake looks amazing! I’m going to have a hard time waiting for somebody’s birthday to make this.
On January 12, 2011 at 3:24pm, Janet said...
Your daughter is beautiful.
The cake is amazing!
Happy New Year, and thank you for everything you share through your blog. I’ve loved it for a very long time!
On January 13, 2011 at 10:31am, Susan said...
Thank you, Janet! You’re very sweet, and I appreciate it. Happy New Year to you too!
On January 15, 2011 at 11:08am, zahra said...
thank you very much
My Carrot Cake
http://www.jarood.net/index.php?action=getfile&id=27433
On January 28, 2011 at 1:18pm, Sarah from 20somethingcupcakes said...
Oh, that does look like the best carrot cake ever…I think it’s the frosting that’s doing it for me. And adorable shot of the mini SGCC, so cute!
On January 30, 2011 at 5:01am, Cyndi Parisu said...
Mhh, I’d better randomly grab a friend to make this cake for!XD But I can always bake for myself…-getting ideas here-but really, cream cheese frosting and carrot cake? Mhh. Just stumbled here, by the way.xD
On April 17, 2011 at 10:30am, janice said...
I do love a good carrot cake so I will be trying this out in the near future
On May 09, 2011 at 1:31pm, Elise said...
I made this carrot cake for my very picky boyfriends b-day this weekend, and it turned out superb! I was nervous because Ive made carrot cakes before, and they didn’t turn out nearly as good as I wanted. This cake turned out very moist. It was packed full of flavor and ingredients, which were hearty enough to satisfy without being too heavy. I followed this recipe to the letter, except I soaked the raisins in OJ(yum). Frosting was great too! Needless to say my boyfriend loved it, and so did the entire family! I heard nothing but compliments! Thanks so much Susan for this delicious recipe, its a keeper for sure!
On June 01, 2011 at 10:17pm, Mary said...
This cake looks amazing! I want to make it for a girlfriend at work. Can this be made in a 9 x 13 baking pan so we can share the sweet-spicy goodness? Thanks for posting!
On June 21, 2011 at 9:30am, Darlene said...
Your cake looks so yummy. Thanks so much for sharing.
I agree with you, I don’t like to bake goodies that I don’t like.
On August 19, 2011 at 10:03am, Jenny @An Apple for the Crafter said...
Thank you for posting this!! It truly IS the best Carrot Cake recipe ever! You made me look like a culinary talent!
http://anappleforthecrafter.blogspot.com/2011/08/carrot-cake.html
On August 30, 2011 at 8:03pm, Dionne said...
Your cake looks wonderful. After comparing both recipes, I wanted to ask why you added the milk. I don’t have to ask why you left out the cloves and added pineapple
On September 01, 2011 at 3:23am, Mari said...
That is the best smelling cake batter I have ever made. Just put it in the oven. ^_^
On October 15, 2011 at 6:37am, Karen said...
I made this cake about 3 weeks ago and shared it with guests in my guesthaus. It was the only thing they ate that I gave them!!! Ha! Go figure! I gave a piece to my neighbor, my dad and me & the hubby finished off the rest. I think it should be on the show “the best thing I ever ate.” Anyway, my neighbor called me last nite, at 9:00 p.m. to ask if I would make it for her sons 24th birthday party….Heck Ya! Thanks for the yummy recipe!
On October 27, 2011 at 6:54am, Marcey Page said...
Highly recommend this recipe! Glad to find a great recipe without pineapple
I have to copy what someone else said…you made me look like a pro:) I baked two 8 inch rounds and cut them in half so I ended up with a 4 layer cake…and just frosted the centers and the top. Garnished with walnuts. You have a great site, I’ll be back!
On November 23, 2011 at 8:56pm, Linda said...
This cake is MOIST & AMAZING! ! BEST carrot cake ever. I actually made it whole wheat flour and added 1 ripe banana (because I had one ready to use). It truly was amazing and a bit more healthy. I made the icing with only 1.5 cups if sugar. I don’t like sweet icing. I have found a great cake to show off and bring to parties. THANKS! !
On November 25, 2011 at 8:23am, kcupdrawer said...
Woww!! I also love your carrot cake. I will do follow from your method your share in this holiday for my party.
It’s look amazing. I think I can do and look nice like you did.. Thanks again.
http://www.caloriesinboiledrice.com/
On December 07, 2011 at 11:21am, Sylvia said...
I made this cake THREE TIMES over the Thanksgiving Holiday, and I must say – it was delicous and moist. Everyone LOVED it! I added coconut
On December 23, 2011 at 12:01pm, Donna A said...
Thanks for posting this. I love how my cake turned out.
On January 03, 2012 at 6:12am, Gina Mason said...
Tried this receipe for New Year’s celebration….loved it!
On January 07, 2012 at 7:07am, Alice said...
Defos trying this! Looks amazing!
On January 19, 2012 at 11:23pm, Tracy Craig said...
Ok so I tried this recipe…the cakes are cooling as I type..and the frosting is ready….I went with the 4 cups of powdered sugar, but my dumb butt forgot to grab orange flavoring when I was at the store, so I stuck to the vanilla and that was it…I omitted the raisins and only added a couple fingerfuls of pecans since when I read it to my beloved, he said it sounded like fruit cake…hahaha..anyway, you inspired me to go visit my grandmother this weekend, (she’s 2 1/2 hours away) to see if she has any recipes that I might try. I’ve gotta say though that the batter looked super yummy and I’ll probably make this again…with the exception of the shredding of the carrots, (Yes I did shred my thumb knuckle) it was super easy. I’ll be looking for a small shredder for my Oster kitchen center now…I know, it’s older than me, but I inherited it, and it does a great job on everything else. : O
On January 22, 2012 at 12:27pm, Lauren said...
Hi Susan. I just discovered your blog and was thrilled when you put up a carrot cake. It was my boyfriends birthday and when it came time to bake him a cake I knew the only one he would eat more than 1 piece of was carrot cake. I made it yesterday and when we woke up this morning it was the first thing he wanted. It was absolutely the best carrot cake we have ever had! Thanks for posting the recipe & will be going into my recipe box!!
On January 29, 2012 at 6:17pm, Donna said...
After HOURS of searching…my quest is over…I found THE carrot cake I have been searching for…It looks to be the polar opposite of all of the dark “fruit-cakey” ones I so dread and avoid! One question…when you mention “packed brown sugar”…do you mean “light” or “dark”?…I live in France at present…and have finally been able to locate both. I hope to replicate the exact hue of your gorgeous cake artistry…so before I trot out to buy the ingredients I just want to be sure….to do it “justice! (Oh, and your frosting screams DIVINE…)
Thanking you in advance for any enlightenment!..
On February 20, 2012 at 12:32pm, Patricia Norman said...
Best carrot cake recipe! Have made it so many times now, I think I have it committed to memory! Thanks!