Spring Celebration Carrot Cake Recipes

THREE-LAYER CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Brush three 9-inch-round cake pans with vegetable oil and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then pulse in a food processor until very finely chopped.
• Combine the pecans, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and granulated sugar in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, lemon zest, eggs and 1/2 cup marmalade. Stir in the carrots, then fold the carrot mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Divide among the prepared pans and spread evenly (it won't look like a lot of batter, but the cakes will rise in the oven). Put 2 pans on the upper oven rack and the third pan on the lower rack. Bake until the cakes bounce back when touched and a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, switching the position of the pans halfway through. Transfer the pans to racks until cool enough to handle, then invert the cakes onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment.
• Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a bowl with a mixer until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt until smooth.
• Put 1 cake layer on a platter. Spread with 1 tablespoon marmalade, then spread about 3/4 cup frosting over the marmalade. Top with another cake layer, marmalade and frosting. Spread the final cake layer with a thin layer of frosting. (This is the crumb coat; it doesn't have to be perfect.) Refrigerate 1 hour, then cover with the remaining frosting. Swirl some marmalade into the top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Photograph by Con Poulos

EASY CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube pan.
• Combine the sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, soda, oil. With an electric mixer beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the carrots and the walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour 20 minutes. Note: this cake can be made in two 9 inch layer cake pans just change the baking time to 40 minutes.
• To Make Frosting: With an electric mixer blend the cream cheese and cream. Add the vanilla and confectioners' sugar. Frosting can be spread and a still warm cake.

SPRING CELEBRATION CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• 1. For Cake: Preheat oven to 350F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper and butter paper. Dust pan with flour.
• 2. Toss carrots, walnuts and 1/2 cup pineapple with 1/2 cup flour in a small bowl and set aside.
• 3. Whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
• 4. Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl using a mixer until thick and light, about 5 minutes. Gradually add oil, while beating. Beat in pureed carrot.
• 5. Fold in dry ingredients until a loose batter forms. Fold in nuts, carrots, and pineapple. Pour into prepared pans. Bake until firm to touch and a cake tester, inserted into center, comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on a rack for 25 minutes. Turn out of pans and cool completely on rack.
• 6. For Icing: Beat cream cheese in a large bowl, using a mixer until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in butter until smooth. Sift sugar over cream cheese mixture; beat until smooth. Add lemon zest and vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy. Refrigerate icing for about 20 minutes.
• 7. Place a cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread about half icing over top. Sprinkle on half of pineapple and top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sprinkle with remaining pineapple. Garnish with thin peels of fresh carrot.

JEAN-PHILIPPE'S WARM CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• For the Carrot Cake: Preheat the oven to 380 degrees F. Grease 6 (3 1/2-inch diameter by 1-inch height) tart molds with butter.
• In a electric mixing bowl whip yolks and sugar together until silky. Add oil slowly. Sift cake flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder,, allspice, nutmeg and carrots together and add slowly to the first mix. Whip egg whites with sugar to a soft peak and fold it gently into the mix. Fill the tart pans with prepared mix, add some roasted walnut pieces on the top and bake for 18 minutes. When ready, unmold onto a wire rack until cooled.
• For the Italian Meringue: Combine the water, sugar, and honey and cook to 248 degrees F. While sugar is heating, whip egg whites to medium peaks. With the mixer running, slowly drizzle in the hot sugar mixture. Whip until the mixture is cool. When mixture is cool, mix in orange blossom water and set aside.
• For the Cream Cheese Sauce: In a blender, mix all ingredients together until smooth. Set aside.
• For the Citrus Syrup: Boil all ingredients together for 1 minute. Strain and cool down before using.
• To Assemble: Preheat the oven to 370 degrees F. Dip carrot cake in the Citrus Syrup for 5 seconds and place on a baking pan. Place a 3-inch wet round cookie cutter on top of the cake and immediately fill it with the meringue to the top. Remove the cookie cutter and sprinkle some shredded coconut on top. Bake for 8 minutes.
• Place the warm cake in the center of a plate. Pour some cream cheese sauce around the cake and garnish with diced strawberry and pineapple.

SPRING CELEBRATION CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter 2 (8-inch) square cake pans, line them with buttered parchment paper, and dust with flour.
• Toss the carrots, walnuts and 1/2 cup pineapple with 3/4 cup of the flour in a small bowl and set aside.
• Whisk the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
• In another large bowl beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until thick and light, about 5 minutes. While continuing to beat the eggs slowly, gradually add the oil, and then the pureed carrot.
• Scatter the dry ingredients over the wet and then gently fold them together to make a loose batter. Gently fold the nuts, carrots, and pineapple into the batter. Pour into the prepared pans. Bake the cakes until firm to the touch and a cake tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on a rack for 25 minutes. Turn cakes out of pans and cool completely on the rack.
• Beat cream cheese in a large bowl, with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in the butter until smooth. Sift the sugar over the cream cheese, and beat until smooth. Add the lemon zest and vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy. Refrigerate to set slightly for about 20 minutes.
• To assemble the cake, place a cake layer on a cake stand, plate, or cake board. Spread about half of the icing over top, but leave the sides bare. Sprinkle icing with about half of the pineapple. Top with a second cake layer, and repeat with remaining icing and pineapple. Serve.