Carrot Cake

I have spent the majority of my life believing that carrot cake is a highly overrated quote-on-quote dessert. This is probably due to the fact that it is usually store-bought and makes an appearance at the most boring life events- bridal showers, baby showers…[Why do we women continue to inflict boring showers upon eachother- but I digress]. The cake is usually bland and its only function appears to be as a vessel for cream cheese icing. However, I wanted to make a Spring dessert; something that was light and not too sweet. I also wanted to humour my sister, a die-hard carrot cake fan.

I turned to Dorie Greenspan who did not disappoint.

This recipe turned the traditional carrot cake into a three-tiered layer cake. This resulted in not only a beautiful presentation, but additional opportunities for what is undeniably the best part- the icing! And this cake was anything but boring. The spices gave the cake a complex flavour as did the additions of nuts, raisons and coconut. The result was a moist, flavourful and attractive dessert, worthy enough for a dinner party. I suppose it could also be used for shower fare.

Layered Carrot Cake
Dorie Greenspan

Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp salt
3 cups grated carrots (the carrots can be grated with a food processor fitted with a shredding blade)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
½ cup moist, plump raisins or dried cranberries
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola or safflower oil
4 large eggs

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch round, 2-inch deep cake pans, flour the insides and tap out the excess.

Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut and raisins.

Working in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a whisk, beat the sugar and oil together until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. If you are working in a mixer, reduce the speed to low, if you’re working by hand switch to a large rubber spatula, and gently stir in the flour mixture- mix only until the dry ingredients disappear. Just as gently, stir in the chunky ingredients.

Divide the batter among the baking pans and slide the pans into the oven. Bake the cakes for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The cakes are properly baked when a knife inserted into the centers of the cakes come out clean; the cakes will just start to come away from the edges. Transfer the pans to cooling racks, cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool to room temperature. (At this point, the cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months, thaw before frosting.)

Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
8 tbsp (2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 ¾ cups (1 lb) confectioners
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice or ½ tsp pure lemon extract
½ cup shredded coconut, optional
toasted finely chopped nuts and/or toasted coconut, for topping, optional

Working in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the lemon juice or extract.

If you’d like to have coconut in the filling, scoop out about ½ the frosting and stir the coconut into this portion.

To frost the cake, place one layer of the cake, right-side up, on a cardboard round or a cake plate. If you’ve added coconut to the frosting, use half of coconut frosting to generously cover the first layer. Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake top-side down. Frost with the remainder of the coconut frosting. Top with the last layer, right-side up and use the plain frosting to cover the top- and the sides if you want- of the cake. Finish the top layer with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle on these ingredients now, while the frosting is soft. Slide the cake into the refrigerator for 15 minutes to set the frosting.

The cake can be served as soon as the frosting is set. It can also wait, at room temperature and covered with a cake keeper, overnight. The cake is best served in thick slices at room temperature. If can be served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

The covered cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can be frozen, uncovered and then, when it is firmed, wrapped airtight and kept in the freezer for up to 2 months; defrost, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight.