Carrot Layer Cake(Cook's Illustrated) Recipe

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Carrot Layer Cake(Cook's Illustrated)
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Ingredients
20
Count
Nutrition
1525
Calories
Total time
16
Minutes
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Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (8-3/4 oz)
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar (8-3/4 oz)
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 2/3 cups shredded carrots (4 carrots , about 10 oz)
  • 2/3 cup dried currant (about 3 oz)
  • 16 tbsp unsalted butter, soft (2 sticks)
  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar (12 oz)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 12 oz cream cheese (1-1/2 packages)
  • 2 cups pecans (8 oz)

Directions:

  1. CAKE: Set a rack to the middle of your oven and preheat to 350-degrees. Grease an 18”x 13” rimmed baking sheet, line it with parchment paper, and then grease the parchment paper too.
  2. Shred four carrots on the large holes of a box grater or using the shedding disk and your food processor.
  3. In a medium bowl, add together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves. Whisk together until combined.
  4. In another large bowl add sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Use a whisk to combine until smooth. Gently stir in carrots and currants with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed. Finally, add in flour mixture and fold in with your rubber spatula, but only until it is just combined.
  5. Empty batter onto baking sheet. Use an offset spatula to smooth surface and ensure the batter is an even depth. Bake for about 15 minutes, rotating half-way through baking, until the center is firm when touched.
  6. Allow cake to cool for 5 minutes in pan set on a wire rack. Flip the cake onto a wire rack then immediately re-flip back onto a second wire rack. The cake should be resting with the parchment side down. Allow the cake to cool for another 30 minutes.
  7. FROSTING: While the cake is cooking, toast your pecans and chop them coarsely. Cut your cream cheese into 12 equal-size pieces, but keep it refrigerated until you are ready to use in step 3.
  8. Add the butter, sugar, buttermilk powder, vanilla extract and salt to the bowl of a standing mixer. Mix using the paddle attachment on low-speed for 2 minutes; scrape down the bowl as necessary.
  9. Increase mixer speed to medium-low, then add cream cheese one piece at a time. Mix for 2 minutes until the frosting is smooth.
  10. ASSEMBLY: Put cooled cake on a cutting board and cut into equal halves cross-wise. Cut length-wise so that you have 4 equal pieces, measuring about 6″x8″ each.
  11. Cut out a 6″x8″ rectangle out of stiff cardboard. Put the first of the cake piece on the cardboard. Use a spatula to spread 2/3-cup of frosting over layer. Repeat with two more layers.
  12. Place the final cake layer on top. Remove any crumbs from your spatula and frost the top with a 1-cup of frosting.
  13. Frost the sides of the cake with your remaining frosting. You just need enough frosting to hold the chopped pecans, not completely hide all the crumbs.
  14. Holding the cake with one hand, use your other hand to gently press the chopped pecans onto the side of your cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
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Nutrition Facts

Per ServingPer 100 g
Amount Per 1 Serving
Calories 1524.81 Kcal (6384 kJ)
Calories from fat 786.04 Kcal
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 87.34g 134%
Cholesterol 159.92mg 53%
Sodium 933.62mg 39%
Potassium 985.35mg 21%
Total Carbs 177.2g 59%
Sugars 115.62g 462%
Dietary Fiber 8.26g 33%
Protein 19.45g 39%
Vitamin C 4.4mg 7%
Vitamin A 0.5mg 16%
Iron 3.5mg 19%
Calcium 328.5mg 33%
Amount Per 100 g
Calories 384.22 Kcal (1609 kJ)
Calories from fat 198.07 Kcal
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22.01g 134%
Cholesterol 40.3mg 53%
Sodium 235.25mg 39%
Potassium 248.29mg 21%
Total Carbs 44.65g 59%
Sugars 29.13g 462%
Dietary Fiber 2.08g 33%
Protein 4.9g 39%
Vitamin C 1.1mg 7%
Vitamin A 0.1mg 16%
Iron 0.9mg 19%
Calcium 82.8mg 33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Find out how many calories should you eat.

Tastes

  • salty
  • savory
  • bitter
  • sweet
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Recipe Tags

Weightwatchers Points

  • 37
    Points
  • 43
    PointsPlus

Good Points

  • saturated fat free

Bad Points

  • High in Sodium,
  • High in Sugar,
  • High in Total Fat

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