Memere’s 90th Birthday Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Author: Kate Wheeler
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse
3 sticks salted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
Frosting
4 cups powdered sugar
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
½ cup (1 stick) salted butter
½ tsp orange oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare 3 9 inch cake pans with Baker’s Joy or butter and flour.
Cream the butter with your standing mixer, or an electric mixer, until it’s white and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is very pale and nearly doubles in volume. It’s nearly impossible to overbeat at this stage.
In a medium bowl or on a piece of parchment, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and mix well.
Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the eggs, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla and the carrots and beat on medium speed until thoroughly mixed. Fold in the nuts. Divide between the 3 cake pans and bake until skewer poked into the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest in the cake pans for 10 minutes. Turn onto wire racks, remove from the pans, and let cool. Wrap each layer in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze overnight.
Combine the ingredients for the frosting and beat until spreadable consistency.
To assemble the cake, anchor the bottom layer with a little frosting. Spread ½ c- ⅔ c. frosting onto the bottom layer, spread to cover, then add the second layer and repeat. Use the remainder of the frosting to cover the top and sides.
Toast ¾ c. chopped pecans. Press them into frosting. Add birthday candles and serve.
Recipe by The Domestic Front at https://www.thedomesticfront.com/nearly-a-century-carrot-cake/