bonappetit4.2
BA's Best Carrot Cake
Our favorite carrot cake recipe gets crunch from toasted walnuts and a boozy punch from rum-plumped raisins. The frosting recipe? It's cream cheese, duh.
👥 12 Servings🔥 Cook: 35 min👤 Claire Saffitz📖 bonappetit
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●pan
- ●saucepan
- ●oven
- ●baking sheet
- ●bowl
- ●whisk
- ●spatula
- ●knife
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Cake
2
Place rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 350°. Lightly coat two 9"-diameter round cake pans with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper rounds; lightly coat rounds with more nonstick vegetable oil spray. Heat ½ cup (75 g) golden raisins (if using) and 3 Tbsp. dark rum (if using) in a small saucepan over low heat just until warm, about ⏱️ 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit until liquid is absorbed and raisins are plump, 15–⏱️ 20 minutes.
Nonstick vegetable oil spray(113 g) chopped walnuts1 cup(200 g) granulated sugar1 cup(454 g) powdered sugar4 cups. dark rum (optional)3 Tbsp
3
Meanwhile, toast 1 cup (113 g) chopped walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 8–⏱️ 10 minutes; let cool. Combine 1 lb. carrots, peeled, coarsely grated and 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature, in a medium bowl.
(113 g) chopped walnuts1 cup. carrots, peeled, coarsely grated1 lb(200 g) granulated sugar1 cup(454 g) powdered sugar4 cupsbuttermilk, room temperature1 cup
4
Whisk 2½ cups (312 g) all-purpose flour, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 2 tsp. ground ginger, ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg 2 tsp. baking powder, 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ¾ tsp. baking soda in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer (a stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer with beaters will work) on high speed, beat 4 large eggs, room temperature, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, ¾ cup (packed; 150 g) dark brown sugar, and 2 tsp. vanilla extract until pale and thick, about ⏱️ 4 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and gradually stream in ¾ cup vegetable oil. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with carrot mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients; mix until smooth. Fold in raisins, if using, and walnuts with a rubber spatula. Scrape cake batter into prepared pans.
½ cup (75 g) golden raisins (optional)(113 g) chopped walnuts1 cup½ cups (312 g) all-purpose flour2(200 g) granulated sugar1 cup(454 g) powdered sugar4 cups. ground cinnamon2 tsp. ground ginger2 tsp. baking powder2 tsp½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt1large eggs, room temperature4. vanilla extract1 tsp
5
Bake cakes, rotating pans halfway through, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35–⏱️ 45 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cakes cool ⏱️ 10 minutes. Run a knife around sides of cakes and invert onto cooling rack; remove parchment. Let cool completely (about ⏱️ 2 hours).
6
Cream cheese frosting and assembly
7
Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat 12 oz. cream cheese, room temperature, and ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, in a medium bowl until smooth, about ⏱️ 1 minute. Beat in 1 tsp. vanilla extract and a generous pinch of kosher salt. Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in 4 cups (454 g) powdered sugar. Increase speed to high and beat frosting until light and fluffy, about ⏱️ 2 minutes.
(113 g) chopped walnuts1 cup(200 g) granulated sugar1 cup. cream cheese, room temperature12 oz(454 g) powdered sugar4 cups. vanilla extract1 tspGenerous pinch of kosher salt
8
Place 1 cake layer, domed side down, on a platter. Spread ¾ cup frosting evenly over top. Place remaining cake, domed side down, on top. Spread top and sides of the cake with 1¼ cups frosting and chill ⏱️ 30 minutes to let frosting set. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides, swirling decoratively. Garnish top of the cake with Candied Carrot Coins, if desired. Editor’s note: This carrot cake recipe was first printed in our May 2016 issue. Head this way for more of our favorite Easter desserts →
(113 g) chopped walnuts1 cup(200 g) granulated sugar1 cup(454 g) powdered sugar4 cupsCandied Carrot Coins (optional)
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