Adapted from Alton Brown, I'm Just Here For The Food
For the cake:
8 ounces (3-4 or more) raw carrot, grated
8-1/2 ounces (1-3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
1/4 ounce (1 teaspoon) baking powder
1/4 ounce (3/4 teaspoon) baking soda
1/4 ounce (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
1/8 ounce (1/2 teaspoon) kosher salt
3/4 cup whole vanilla yogurt (I substituted whole sour cream & mixed in vanilla extract (about 1 Tablespoon)
2 ounces vegetable oil
10 ounces granulated sugar
5-1/4 ounces eggs (3 large)
Walnuts for around the side of the cake are optional
For the frosting:
*I doubled this recipe because I made a 4-layer cake. The recipe below is not doubled.
4 ounces (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eight-ounce bricks of cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 ounce (1/2 teaspoon) vanilla extract
9 ounces confectioners' sugar
The
first thing I did was grate my carrots. Alton suggests using a box
grater, utilizing the smallest holes but I used my food processor with
the shredding blade. The recipe indicated using 3-4 carrots or 8
ounces. After shredding 4 carrots I had only 5 ounces. Without a
digital scale I would not have known this. You will never regret
purchasing a digital scale if you do a lot of baking, you will have a
lot more successes come out of the oven.
Combine the flour,
baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and kosher salt by sifting them on
top of the carrot mixture and stirring them together. Alton recommends
using a food processor to sift the dry ingredients. I did use the
food processor but a sifter will also be fine. Just know that sifting
is a necessity no matter which method you use.
The recipe also
indicated to mix the wet ingredients in the food processor until fully
combined and slightly thickened, which I did; whole vanilla yogurt (I
substituted sour cream and added vanilla extract until it tasted like
vanilla yogurt), vegetable oil, granulated sugar and eggs.
Add
the wet mixture to the carrot mixture and combine with a whisk. DO NOT
OVERMIX. Drop the whisk and walk away 10 seconds before you think it's
done. There will still be lumps in the batter but they will bake out.
If the batter is smooth, you have overmixed.
This recipe called
for using one, round 9 x 3 pan and creating layers from one cake. I
only have 9 x 2 pans so I prepped them and divided the batter evenly.
If
you use a 9 x 3 pan bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, then lower the
oven temperature to 325 and bake for another 15 minutes.
If you
two, 9 x 2 round pans, bake for 15 minutes at 350, then lower
temperature to 325 for another 15 minutes. These will cook fast. If
you have a thermometer, you are looking for an internal temperature of
205-210 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer, make sure a
toothpick comes out clean when placed in the middle of the cake.
Allow the cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.
While
you are waiting for the cakes to cool, make the frosting. Since I made
a four layered cake, I doubled this frosting recipe.
Using the
mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese
together at 50-percent power until smooth. Add the vanilla and beat
until it's combined.
Drop the speed to 25-percent and slowly add the sugar in 4 batches, beating until smooth between each addition.
Split and frost the cake.
Keep refrigerated.
Recipe courtesy of Cathy Pollak at noblepig.com.