Classic Carrot Coconut Cake Recipes

CLASSIC CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13x9-in. baking dish., Drain pineapple, reserving 2 tablespoons juice (discard remaining juice or save for another use). In a large bowl, beat eggs, carrots, sugars, oil, drained pineapple and reserved juice until well blended. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gradually beat into carrot mixture until blended. Stir in walnuts. Transfer to prepared dish., Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Spread over cake.

MOIST CARROT CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Using a rimmed baking sheet, evenly distribute the shredded coconut in a single layer and toast on center rack of the oven for 5 minutes or until golden-brown.
• Using two 9-inch cake pans, grease and flour them, using a parchment paper cut-out for the bottom of the pans. (See recipe notes).
• Combine the toasted coconut, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon in a medium-size mixing bowl and stir well. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the shredded carrots and buttermilk and mix well.
• Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl until pale and thick, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and gradually stream in oil. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with carrot mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients; beat until smooth. Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth top. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand-held mixer and beat the eggs with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract, on high for 4 minutes until the mixture is pale and thick. Reduce mixer speed and alternately add the dry ingredients and carrot mixture, a little at a time and beat until smooth. Evenly divide and distribute the batter into the prepared cake pans and smooth the top.
• Place cake pans on the center rack inside of the oven and then bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Be sure to rotate the cake pans, halfway through. Remove the cake pans from the oven and place on a wire rack and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Use a paring knife so separate sides of cake from the pan and then invert the cakes onto the wire cooling rack and peel off the parchment paper. Allow the cake layers to cool completely.
• While the cake layers are cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Place cream cheese and butter in a medium-size mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until mixture is smooth, about a minute. Stir in the vanilla extract and then gradually add the powdered sugar. Use an electric mixer and beat until cream cheese frosting is light and fluffy. This should take about two minutes.
• Spread a spoonful of the frosting on a serving platter and then place the bottom layer of the cake, dome-side (top) down. Spread about a cup of frosting evenly over the top. Place the second layer of cake on top of first, again, dome-side down. Spread about two cups of frosting over the top and sides and then chill the cake for 30 minutes to allow the frosting to set.
• Finally, spread the rest of the frosting over the sides and top of the cake and swirl it to make it pretty. Sprinkle the top of the cake with additional coconut shreds and press some of them into the sides of the cake. Garnish center of cake with a small amount of shredded carrots if desired. Allow cake to chill for a least 30 minutes, or overnight to allow the frosting to set.

CLASSIC CARROT-COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Spread shredded coconut in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until golden brown and aromatic, 3-5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, lightly coat cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; lightly coat parchment with nonstick spray.
• Whisk toasted coconut, flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger in a medium bowl. Combine carrots and buttermilk in another medium bowl.
• Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl until pale and thick, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and gradually stream in oil. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with carrot mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients; beat until smooth. Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth top.
• Bake cakes, rotating pans halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cakes cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around sides of cakes and invert onto wire rack; remove parchment. Let cool completely.
• Spread 1 Tbsp. frosting in the center of a platter. Place 1 cake, domed side down, on platter. Spread 1 1/4 cups frosting evenly over top. Place remaining cake, domed side down, on top. Spread top and sides with 2 cups frosting. Chill 30 minutes to let frosting set.
• Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake, swirling top decoratively. Press coconut flakes into frosting on sides of cake. Chill at least 30 minutes or up to overnight to let frosting set.
• Do Ahead
• Cake can be made 3 days ahead; wrap tightly in plastic and chill, or freeze up to 2 weeks.

THE BEST CARROT COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour a loaf tin of 26 cm x 9 cm/ 10x 3.5 inches measured at the base of the form.
• Peel and weigh the carrots, you should have 280 g/9.9 oz prepared carrots. Grate the carrots on the finer grater. Set aside.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the sugar. Set aside.
• Wet ingredients: Beat the eggs shortly in a medium bowl. Add the zest and the juice of only 1 of the lemons. Add the oil and the vanilla extract.
• Dry ingredients: Carefully fold in the flour mixture. Add carrots and coconut to the mix and pour everything into the prepared tin.
• Bake for about 55 - 60 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
• Mix the juice and zest of the second lemon with enough icing sugar to form a paste.
• The amount of sugar needed depends on how large and juicy your lemon is. The paste should be runny enough to be easily spread on the cake and to be able to sicker into the holes you poked into the cake.
• Frost cake: Prick the top of the cake with a toothpick all over and pour over the frosting. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
• Store in an airtight container.

CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. 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 comes 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.)
• For the frosting: Working in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the confectioners' 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 1/2 of 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, just to set the frosting.
• Serving: 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 and, while it's good plain, it's better with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or even some lemon curd with a little whipped cream folded in.
• Storing: Covered the cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can also 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.

EMERIL'S CLASSIC CARROT CAKE WITH FRESH COCONUT WALNUT FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease 3 round (9 inch) cake pans with 2 teaspoons.
• of the butter.
• In the bowl of an elctric mixer, fitted with a paddle, combine the 1/2 cup of the butter, oil, sugar and brown sugar.
• Cream the mixture until smooth.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a small mixing bowl.
• Add the eggs to the butter/sugar mixture, 1/2 cup at a time.
• Add the carrots, ground walnuts and vanilla.
• Mix well.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans and spread evenly.
• Place in the oven and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the center springs back when touched.
• Remove from the oven and cool.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and remaining 1/2 cup butter.
• Mix well.
• Add the walnut pieces and coconut.
• Mix well.
• Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time and mix until the frosting is spreadable.
• To assemble, slice each cake in half.
• Place on half in the center of a serving plate.
• Brush the top of the cake with the syrup.
• Spread 1/2 cup of the frosting over the first layer.
• Repeat the above process until all of the layers are used.
• Ice the entire cake with the remaining frosting.
• Refrigerate the cake for 30 mninutes.