Our Favorite Carrot Cake

I love this Carrot Cake!!

This carrot cake is moist with a lighter texture than most carrot cakes. It has just the right amount of finely shredded carrots and wonderfully warm spices. It can be made into a layer cake or as a 13 x 9 x 2 – inch sheet cake. I prefer mine without nuts and raisins but you can certainly add them if you like!

I’ve tweaked the recipe over the years, swapping all white sugar for a combo of white and brown sugars and played with the spice combinations until I had it just how we liked it!

Its lighter texture comes from a mixing method I read about in “Baking Illustrated” (2004), America’s Test Kitchen.

First, whisk all your dry ingredients together in a separate mixing bowl. After finely shredding your carrots in your food processor dump them into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and wipe out the food processor bowl.

Swap the shredding disc for the metal multi-purpose blade and add your sugars, eggs and vanilla to the bowl. Process until well blended…

Then, while the unit is running drizzle in your oil. The oil with emulsify with the egg mixture – keeping the oil from separating and ending up on the bottom of the cake, which could give your cake a yucky oily bottom and dense/heavy texture.

When I have the time I love to bake and frost this as a beautiful layer cake, but I also love the ease and transportability of a sheet cake! Either way, we love our carrot cake with creamy and fluffy homemade Cream Cheese Frosting!

Perfect Picture for Pinterest: ⬇️

Carrot Cake

This carrot cake is moist with a lighter texture than most carrot cakes. It has just the right amount of finely shredded carrots and wonderfully warm spices.

Tina Verrelli - epicuricloud.com

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake, carrot, carrot cake, cream cheese frosting

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 16 servings

Equipment

• Food Processor

Ingredients

• butter or nonstick spray for greasing pan(s)
• 3 cups finely shredded carrots about 1 pound carrots

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cups (256 grams) all-purpose flour +more for preparing pan(s)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Sugars & Wet Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup oil (canola, vegetable)

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare Pans: Grease 13" x 9" x 2" pan. For 8" round pans, line bottom of pan with parchment (trace & cut) then grease and lightly flour.
• In large bowl combine dry ingredients and whisk to mix: flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, baking soda, baking powder and salt
• Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla to food processor bowl fitted with metal multi-purpose blade. Run on low speed to combine. While running add oil, pouring in a steady stream through the feed tube. (I don't use the built-in drizzle hole in this instance.)
• Add carrots and sugar/egg mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl. Use electric hand mixer or mix by hand with a flexible spatula. Mix just until all dry ingredients are combined.
• Pour batter in prepared baking pan(s). Bake 13" x 9" x 2" cake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Bake 2, 8" rounds for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Let cool in pan on cooling rack for 5 minutes before turning out cake(s) and letting cool completely. You can leave the 13" x 9" x 2" cake right in the pan if you like.
• I frost mine with cream cheese frosting. (Make sure to refrigerate if using cream cheese frosting)

Notes

If you'd like to add raisins and/or nuts - add 1 cup total.

Top with Cream Cheese Frosting!

Nutrition (approx. data estimated via online nutritional calculator.)

Calories: 332kcal (17%) | Carbohydrates: 45g (15%) | Protein: 4g (8%) | Fat: 15g (23%) | Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) | Cholesterol: 35mg (12%) | Sodium: 201mg (9%) | Potassium: 135mg (4%) | Fiber: 2g (8%) | Sugar: 21g (23%) | Vitamin A: 4060IU (81%) | Vitamin C: 1mg (1%) | Calcium: 43mg (4%) | Iron: 2mg (11%)

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