Carrot Cake 🥕 🎂 Recipe by Chris Gan
Carrot Cake 🥕 🎂 Cooking Instructions 30 to 35 minutes 1 Gather your ingredients. Ensure that the eggs are at room temperature. 2 Grease the bottoms of three 8” inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, and lightly grease the paper. Set aside. You can use different size pans, but check the “Notes” section below for baking times. 3 Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°F). 4 Slightly drain the canned crushed pineapple. You want it the consistency of applesauce - not too watery. 5 Peel and grate the carrots. I used a box grater, but you can use a food processor if you prefer. Use the medium-small holes of the grater, not the big holes or the tiny holes (see the video). Grate the carrots fresh! Do not use pre-grated carrots from the supermarket or your cake may end up being dry. 6 Sift together the self-rising flour, spices, and baking soda and set aside. (The pictures show me whisking the ingredients, but I also sifted them after that. I forgot to take a picture) 7 Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat sugar, oil, and vanilla at medium speed. 8 Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. 9 Add the flour mixture in three batches, mixing gently after each addition. Do not overmix. Some streaks of flour are okay. 10 Fold in the carrots, crushed pineapple (and nuts and/or raisins, if desired). 11 Evenly pour the batter into the cake pans. 12 Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 13 Cool the cake layers in pans for 15 minutes then flip the cakes onto cooling racks to cool completely. Ensure the cakes are completely cool before frosting! 14 If you’d like to break up the work, you can use this as a stopping point. Wrap the cakes in plastic wrap, and place them in the fridge overnight. You can make the frosting tomorrow. Alternatively, you can continue with the steps below and finish everything in one day. 15 Prepare the frosting. First, brown the butter. Put the butter into a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once the butter has fully melted, a white foam will begin to appear. 16 The color of the butter will change to brown and the smell of the butter will become a little nutty. Remove the pan from the heat and pour it into a heatproof container. 17 Transfer the browned butter to the fridge to cool and become solid again. 18 You’ll need two bowls to make the frosting. Into the first bowl, add the cold cream cheese and use a spatula to scrape and smash it until it has a smooth consistency. Place it into the fridge while you continue to the next step. 19 In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to start mixing the browned butter. You can also use a hand mixer for this and all the remaining steps. 20 Add the powdered sugar to the butter about one cup at a time, beating on LOW speed after each addition and scraping the bowl before adding more. The mixture will end up being quite crumbly and dry. That’s okay! Keep going and trust the process. Add the vanilla extract and the salt with the last cup of powdered sugar. 21 After all the powdered sugar has been added, keep mixing on low speed until the butter/sugar mixture looks like fine crumbs. 22 Add the cold cream cheese in two batches to the butter/sugar mixture, and mix on low speed after each addition until incorporated. If you have lumps of cream cheese, smooth them out with a spatula. Try not to work with the frosting too much or it might become runny. If that happens, put it in the fridge to chill until it firms up. 23 Place the frosting in the fridge while you prepare the cake layers. 24 If the top of your cakes are rounded, trim them with a serrated knife until they are flat and even. 25 Place one of the cake layers onto a flat surface, then scoop about 3/4 cup of frosting onto the top. Level it with a offset spatula. Stack the two remaining cake layers in the same way. 26 Apply a crumb coat of frosting. Use just enough frosting to cover the stacked cake with a thin layer, then put the cake in the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes. This will harden the frosting and make the next layer of frosting easier to apply. 27 Apply the outer layer of frosting, then decorate as desired. 28 Keep this cake refrigerated. It will be good for 5 to 7 days. It is easiest to cut this cake if it is well chilled. The slices will be neater. 29 Notes: 🥕 Self-rising flour usually has salt in it. You can add 1/4 teaspoon of additional salt to this recipe if you prefer. 🥕 To make your own self-riding flour, whisk together 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt. 🥕 If you use 9” round pans, check for doneness at 25 to 30 minutes. If you use a 9x13” pan, do not line it with parchment paper. Grease and flour it instead. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. 30 More Notes: 🥕 If you want to use less oil, replace ⅓ cup of vegetable oil with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce. 🥕 The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. I prefer to put mine in the fridge, however. 🥕 You can wrap the individual unfrosted cake layers in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil and freeze them for up to 3 months. 1 Gather your ingredients. Ensure that the eggs are at room temperature. 1 Gather your ingredients. Ensure that the eggs are at room temperature. 2 Grease the bottoms of three 8” inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, and lightly grease the paper. Set aside. You can use different size pans, but check the “Notes” section below for baking times. 2 Grease the bottoms of three 8” inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, and lightly grease the paper. Set aside. You can use different size pans, but check the “Notes” section below for baking times. 3 Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°F). 3 Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°F). 4 Slightly drain the canned crushed pineapple. You want it the consistency of applesauce - not too watery. 4 Slightly drain the canned crushed pineapple. You want it the consistency of applesauce - not too watery. 5 Peel and grate the carrots. I used a box grater, but you can use a food processor if you prefer. Use the medium-small holes of the grater, not the big holes or the tiny holes (see the video). Grate the carrots fresh! Do not use pre-grated carrots from the supermarket or your cake may end up being dry. 5 Peel and grate the carrots. I used a box grater, but you can use a food processor if you prefer. Use the medium-small holes of the grater, not the big holes or the tiny holes (see the video). Grate the carrots fresh! Do not use pre-grated carrots from the supermarket or your cake may end up being dry. 6 Sift together the self-rising flour, spices, and baking soda and set aside. (The pictures show me whisking the ingredients, but I also sifted them after that. I forgot to take a picture) 6 Sift together the self-rising flour, spices, and baking soda and set aside. (The pictures show me whisking the ingredients, but I also sifted them after that. I forgot to take a picture) 7 Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat sugar, oil, and vanilla at medium speed. 7 Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat sugar, oil, and vanilla at medium speed. 8 Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. 8 Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. 9 Add the flour mixture in three batches, mixing gently after each addition. Do not overmix. Some streaks of flour are okay. 9 Add the flour mixture in three batches, mixing gently after each addition. Do not overmix. Some streaks of flour are okay. 10 Fold in the carrots, crushed pineapple (and nuts and/or raisins, if desired). 10 Fold in the carrots, crushed pineapple (and nuts and/or raisins, if desired). 11 Evenly pour the batter into the cake pans. 11 Evenly pour the batter into the cake pans. 12 Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 12 Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 13 Cool the cake layers in pans for 15 minutes then flip the cakes onto cooling racks to cool completely. Ensure the cakes are completely cool before frosting! 13 Cool the cake layers in pans for 15 minutes then flip the cakes onto cooling racks to cool completely. Ensure the cakes are completely cool before frosting! 14 If you’d like to break up the work, you can use this as a stopping point. Wrap the cakes in plastic wrap, and place them in the fridge overnight. You can make the frosting tomorrow. Alternatively, you can continue with the steps below and finish everything in one day. 14 If you’d like to break up the work, you can use this as a stopping point. Wrap the cakes in plastic wrap, and place them in the fridge overnight. You can make the frosting tomorrow. Alternatively, you can continue with the steps below and finish everything in one day. 15 Prepare the frosting. First, brown the butter. Put the butter into a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once the butter has fully melted, a white foam will begin to appear. 15 Prepare the frosting. First, brown the butter. Put the butter into a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once the butter has fully melted, a white foam will begin to appear. 16 The color of the butter will change to brown and the smell of the butter will become a little nutty. Remove the pan from the heat and pour it into a heatproof container. 16 The color of the butter will change to brown and the smell of the butter will become a little nutty. Remove the pan from the heat and pour it into a heatproof container. 17 Transfer the browned butter to the fridge to cool and become solid again. 17 Transfer the browned butter to the fridge to cool and become solid again. 18 You’ll need two bowls to make the frosting. Into the first bowl, add the cold cream cheese and use a spatula to scrape and smash it until it has a smooth consistency. Place it into the fridge while you continue to the next step. 18 You’ll need two bowls to make the frosting. Into the first bowl, add the cold cream cheese and use a spatula to scrape and smash it until it has a smooth consistency. Place it into the fridge while you continue to the next step. 19 In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to start mixing the browned butter. You can also use a hand mixer for this and all the remaining steps. 19 In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to start mixing the browned butter. You can also use a hand mixer for this and all the remaining steps. 20 Add the powdered sugar to the butter about one cup at a time, beating on LOW speed after each addition and scraping the bowl before adding more. The mixture will end up being quite crumbly and dry. That’s okay! Keep going and trust the process. Add the vanilla extract and the salt with the last cup of powdered sugar. 20 Add the powdered sugar to the butter about one cup at a time, beating on LOW speed after each addition and scraping the bowl before adding more. The mixture will end up being quite crumbly and dry. That’s okay! Keep going and trust the process. Add the vanilla extract and the salt with the last cup of powdered sugar. 21 After all the powdered sugar has been added, keep mixing on low speed until the butter/sugar mixture looks like fine crumbs. 21 After all the powdered sugar has been added, keep mixing on low speed until the butter/sugar mixture looks like fine crumbs. 22 Add the cold cream cheese in two batches to the butter/sugar mixture, and mix on low speed after each addition until incorporated. If you have lumps of cream cheese, smooth them out with a spatula. Try not to work with the frosting too much or it might become runny. If that happens, put it in the fridge to chill until it firms up. 22 Add the cold cream cheese in two batches to the butter/sugar mixture, and mix on low speed after each addition until incorporated. If you have lumps of cream cheese, smooth them out with a spatula. Try not to work with the frosting too much or it might become runny. If that happens, put it in the fridge to chill until it firms up. 23 Place the frosting in the fridge while you prepare the cake layers. 23 Place the frosting in the fridge while you prepare the cake layers. 24 If the top of your cakes are rounded, trim them with a serrated knife until they are flat and even. 24 If the top of your cakes are rounded, trim them with a serrated knife until they are flat and even. 25 Place one of the cake layers onto a flat surface, then scoop about 3/4 cup of frosting onto the top. Level it with a offset spatula. Stack the two remaining cake layers in the same way. 25 Place one of the cake layers onto a flat surface, then scoop about 3/4 cup of frosting onto the top. Level it with a offset spatula. Stack the two remaining cake layers in the same way. 26 Apply a crumb coat of frosting. Use just enough frosting to cover the stacked cake with a thin layer, then put the cake in the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes. This will harden the frosting and make the next layer of frosting easier to apply. 26 Apply a crumb coat of frosting. Use just enough frosting to cover the stacked cake with a thin layer, then put the cake in the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes. This will harden the frosting and make the next layer of frosting easier to apply. 27 Apply the outer layer of frosting, then decorate as desired. 27 Apply the outer layer of frosting, then decorate as desired. 28 Keep this cake refrigerated. It will be good for 5 to 7 days. It is easiest to cut this cake if it is well chilled. The slices will be neater. 28 Keep this cake refrigerated. It will be good for 5 to 7 days. It is easiest to cut this cake if it is well chilled. The slices will be neater. 29 Notes: 🥕 Self-rising flour usually has salt in it. You can add 1/4 teaspoon of additional salt to this recipe if you prefer. 🥕 To make your own self-riding flour, whisk together 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt. 🥕 If you use 9” round pans, check for doneness at 25 to 30 minutes. If you use a 9x13” pan, do not line it with parchment paper. Grease and flour it instead. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. 29 Notes: 🥕 Self-rising flour usually has salt in it. You can add 1/4 teaspoon of additional salt to this recipe if you prefer. 🥕 To make your own self-riding flour, whisk together 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt. 🥕 If you use 9” round pans, check for doneness at 25 to 30 minutes. If you use a 9x13” pan, do not line it with parchment paper. Grease and flour it instead. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. 30 More Notes: 🥕 If you want to use less oil, replace ⅓ cup of vegetable oil with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce. 🥕 The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. I prefer to put mine in the fridge, however. 🥕 You can wrap the individual unfrosted cake layers in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil and freeze them for up to 3 months. 30 More Notes: 🥕 If you want to use less oil, replace ⅓ cup of vegetable oil with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce. 🥕 The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. I prefer to put mine in the fridge, however. 🥕 You can wrap the individual unfrosted cake layers in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil and freeze them for up to 3 months. 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