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.
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!
Photo: Natalie Levin
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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
- Preheat oven to 170c degrees and grease the pan well.
- In a mixer bowl whip eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt at high speed until you get an airy, fluffy and light mixture.
- Reduce the speed of the mixer to low-medium and gradually add the oil in a thin stream while stirring, until incorporated.
- Add flour, baking soda and baking powder and mix just until a smooth mixture is formed.
- Add grated carrots and fold gently with a spatula until evenly dispersed in the mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the pan and level the top.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the cake is golden, stable and a skewer inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool completely at room temperature, than cool in the refrigerator for about 2 hours until completely cold.
- With a long serrated knife slice the cake into 4 equal layers.
- 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.
- Add the cream in a thin stream while mixing, and continue to whip on high speed until stable cream is formed.
- Assemble the cake: place a cake layer on a serving plate.
- 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.
- Transfer the remaining cream into a piping bag with large serrated piping tip and pipe small mounds on top.
- Decorate the sides with chopped walnuts and walnut halves at the top.
- 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.
Photo: Natalie Levin
Photo: Natalie Levin