Carrot Cake

This perfectly spiced classic Carrot Cake has a moist, tender crumb and is finished with delicious Cream Cheese Frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Canadian

Keyword Bundt Cake, cake, Carrot Cake, carrots, Layer Cake

Servings 12

My Island Bistro Kitchen Barbara99

Ingredients

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp cloves
1/8 tsp ginger
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup + 1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup sour cream, room temperature
2½ tsp vanilla
¾ lb raw carrots

Instructions

Bring eggs and sour cream to room temperature.
Position oven rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
This cake may be baked in different pans. For a two-layer cake, line bottom of two 8”x2” round cake pans with parchment paper circles. Cut two lengths of parchment paper, each about 28” long and 2¾“ wide for lining sides of pans. Lightly spray pans before lining with parchment paper to hold the paper in place. Cake may also be baked in 9”x13” pan lined with parchment paper or in a 10” well-greased Bundt pan (ensure all crevices in pan are very well greased).
In medium-sized bowl, sift or sieve the dry ingredients together.
In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine the granulated and brown sugars. Add the oil and blend into the sugar at medium low speed. With mixer set to medium speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, stopping as necessary to scrape sides of bowl with rubber or silicone spatula. Beat for approximately 30 seconds after last egg has been added. Beat in the sour cream followed by the vanilla, beating just until ingredients are well blended. Do not overbeat.
With mixer set to slowest speed, gradually add the dry ingredients, about 2/3 cup at a time, until blended. Increase speed to medium and beat ingredients about 30 seconds.
Remove bowl from mixer stand and fold in grated carrots.
For two 8”x2” round cake pans: Divide mixture evenly between prepared pans. Smooth batter with knife or offset spatula. Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes (see Note below), or until cakes show signs of starting to pull away from sides of pans and spring back to a light touch and a cake tester inserted into centers of cakes comes out clean. Transfer pans to wire rack and allow cakes to cool in pans 10 minutes. Carefully remove the rings of parchment paper from around each cake and invert cakes on to wire rack(s). Remove parchment paper from cake bottoms and cool cakes completely before assembling layer cake and frosting.
For 9”x13” pan: Transfer batter to pan. Smooth batter with knife or offset spatula. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes (see Note below) or until cake shows signs of starting to pull away from sides of pans and springs back to a light touch and a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Transfer pan to wire rack and cool cake in pan for 10 minutes then invert cake onto wire rack. Remove parchment paper from cake and cool cake completely before frosting.
For 10” Bundt pan: Transfer batter to pan. Smooth batter with knife or offset spatula. Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes (see Note below), or until cake shows signs of starting to pull away from sides of pan and springs back to a light touch and a cake tester inserted into centers of cakes comes out clean Transfer cake to wire rack and allow cake to cool in pan for 10 minutes then invert cake on to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
When cakes are completely cool, frost as desired with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Recipe Notes

NOTES:

1. Two 8” round cake pans or 9”x13” pan can be greased in lieu of using parchment paper; however, parchment paper provides the greatest assurance of the cakes being removed from the pan(s) intact and without sticking to the pan(s).

2. Wrapping insulated baking strips around the 8” baking pans will help to keep the cakes even as they rise and reduce the amount of cake that needs to be removed from the cake tops when cakes are assembled into a layer cake.

3. Baking times are a guideline only as every oven heats and bakes differently. When cake shows signs of starting to pull away from sides of the pan, springs back to a light touch, and a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into center of cake, cake is baked. Start checking cake(s) for doneness at the earliest time suggested in the recipe and, if not baked, bake until the aforementioned conditions are met.