Simple Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Cooks Illustrated Recipes

EASY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING FOR CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Beat cream cheese and vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add butter, beating until incorporated after each addition.
• Reduce speed to low. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, and beat until fluffy and smooth.

SIMPLE CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING(COOK'S ILLUSTRATED

Steps:

• For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13 by 9-inch baking pan (or 2, 9" round cake pans) with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment and spray parchment.
• 2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in large bowl; set aside.
• 3. In food processor fitted with large shredding disk, shred carrots; transfer carrots to bowl and set aside. Wipe out food processor work bowl and fit with metal blade. Process granulated and brown sugars and eggs until frothy and thoroughly combined, about 20 seconds. With machine running, add oil through feed tube in steady stream. Process until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 20 seconds longer. Scrape mixture into medium bowl. Stir in carrots and dry ingredients until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain. Pour into prepared pan and bake until toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time. Cool cake to room temperature in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours.
• 4. For the frosting: When cake is cool, process cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla in clean food processor work-bowl until combined, about 5 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners' sugar and process until smooth, about 10 seconds.
• 5. Run paring knife around edge of cake to loosen from pan. Invert cake onto wire rack, peel off parchment, then invert again onto serving platter. Using icing spatula, spread frosting evenly over surface of cake. Cut into squares and serve. (Cover leftovers and refrigerate for up to 3 days.).

SPICED CARROT CAKE (COOK'S ILLUSTRATED)

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Lightly flour pan.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices together in large bowl and set aside.
• Mixer method: Shred carrots on large holes of box grater or use food processor (you should have about 3 cups); transfer carrots to bowl and set aside. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined, about 45 seconds. Reduce speed to medium; with mixer running, add oil in slow, steady stream, being careful to pour oil against inside of bowl (if oil begins to splatter, reduce speed to low until oil is incorporated, then resume adding oil). Increase speed to high and mix until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 45 seconds to 1 minute longer. Mix in carrots. Mix in flour-spice mixture by hand until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain. If you want nuts or raisins or both, mix them in by hand.
• Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth top with rubber spatula, and gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake cake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cake cool completely in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours.
• Mix cream cheese with sour cream, butter, sugar, and spices. Spread frosting evenly over cake and serve. Cake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.