How To Make The Best Carrot Cake In Cambridge
Cambridge: Here is one of the best Carrot Cake recipes out there!
Here Is What Most People Don’t Know About Making Carrot Cake:
- Grate the carrots finely: Finely grated carrots blend more seamlessly into the batter, keeping the cake moist and ensuring a more even texture.
- Use oil instead of butter: Oil makes the carrot cake moister and helps it stay soft even after refrigeration, unlike butter which can harden.
- Don’t skip the spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and a touch of ginger are essential for that classic carrot cake flavor. Fresh spices make a big difference in taste.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups finely grated carrots
- 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or line them with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar, mixing until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Fold in the grated carrots, crushed pineapple, nuts, and raisins if using.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the cream cheese frosting, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing until the frosting is creamy. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Once the cakes are completely cool, spread a layer of frosting on top of one cake layer. Place the second layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake.
- Refrigerate the carrot cake for about 30 minutes to set the frosting.