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Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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One of my favorite pound cakes is carrot cake. It is always very soft, sweet and melts in your mouth, and is a great cake next to a coffee cup.

A few years ago I tasted a fancier version of the classic carrot cake – thin layers of moist carrot cake with cream cheese frosting in between.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Photo: Natalie Levin

This cake is very popular in the States, where it’s served in any bakery and café, and it really is that good. When I had a large pile of carrots in my fridge, I decided I had to make my own version to this popular cake

I made an airy, stable and soft carrot cake, cut it into 4 layers, and filled with cream cheese frosting and decorated with walnuts. YUM!

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Photo: Natalie Levin



3.17 from 12 votes
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Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting


Servings 20 cm round cake pan
Author Natalie

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 4 large eggs at room temperature
  • 200 grams (1 cup) sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 180 ml. (3/4 cup) vegetable oil
  • 280 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 400 grams (4 large units) finely grated carrots

For the cream cheese frosting:

  • 450 grams (2 cups) cream cheese
  • 100 grams (1 cup) powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 250 ml. (1 cup) whipping cream

Decoration:

  • 200 grams chopped walnuts
  • 10-12 units of halved walnuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 170c degrees and grease the pan well.
  2. In a mixer bowl whip eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt at high speed until you get an airy, fluffy and light mixture.
  3. Reduce the speed of the mixer to low-medium and gradually add the oil in a thin stream while stirring, until incorporated.
  4. Add flour, baking soda and baking powder and mix just until a smooth mixture is formed.
  5. Add grated carrots and fold gently with a spatula until evenly dispersed in the mixture.
  6. Pour the mixture into the pan and level the top.
  7. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the cake is golden, stable and a skewer inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
  8. Cool completely at room temperature, than cool in the refrigerator for about 2 hours until completely cold.
  9. With a long serrated knife slice the cake into 4 equal layers.
  10. Cream cheese frosting: in a mixer bowl with a whipping attachment, place cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla and beat on high speed until the mixture is smooth.
  11. Add the cream in a thin stream while mixing, and continue to whip on high speed until stable cream is formed.
  12. Assemble the cake: place a cake layer on a serving plate.
  13. Spread about 2-3 heaping tablespoons of the cream in a thin layer on top. Place another cake layer over and repeat until finished. Frost the cake completely – sides and top.
  14. Transfer the remaining cream into a piping bag with large serrated piping tip and pipe small mounds on top.
  15. Decorate the sides with chopped walnuts and walnut halves at the top.

Recipe Notes

  • Keep the cake in a closed container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
  • The cake is at its best on the day after the assembly.
  • Instead of walnuts you can use any other type of nut you like.
  • It is important to use eggs at room temperature.
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Photo: Natalie Levin

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Photo: Natalie Levin