My First Carrot Cake

I've had this blog for quite some time now, but I've never made a carrot cake. I like them well enough, but I just never seem to make them. I'm not sure why that is, but then I don't really make traditional cakes so much as cupcakes and the like.

I started with my usual method of search and seizure, looking at different recipes from many different sources. This is the sort of recipe that all of my books contain, and of course websites like Tastespotting are filled with many variations: pineapple, cardamom, coconut, raisins, pecans, walnuts, chocolate... Just about any variation you could find is out there somewhere.

I'm sticking with a traditional, if not spicy, carrot cake. I started with Alton Brown's recipe as a base because it's straightforward and contains only carrots and cinnamon. I love ginger and cardamom (and how they play off cinnamon's spiciness), so I added those but they certainly aren't required. I'm a fan of pecans and Brown's recipe lacked them. For the frosting, it's hard to mess with the traditional cream cheese.

Carrot Cake

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger, optional
1/2 tsp ground cardamom, optional

3/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup oil
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs

4 medium carrots, grated measuring 1 1/2 cups
1 cup finely chopped pecans

extra chopped pecans for decoration

Butter and flour two 9x2 cake pans and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift the dry ingredients together. Add the carrots and mix to coat the carrots in the flour mixture. Add in the chopped pecans.

Combine the wet ingredients, including the sugar, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until combined and slightly thickened (about 3 minutes).

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Don't over-mix.

Divide batter between cake pans and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until they pass the toothpick test.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-oz packages cream cheese, left at room temperature for 15 minutes to soften
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups confectioner's sugar

Combine the cream cheese, butter, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat until combined. Add the vanilla and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add 2 cups of the confectioner's sugar and beat to combine. Add the remaining confectioner's sugar and mix until frosting comes together and gains a little lightness and volume, about two minutes longer. Frost the cake.

I feel like I should point out I used a different recipe for the frosting initially, and these pictures reflect that recipe. It used more cream cheese than butter and required more confectioner's sugar. The
result was a bit gloppy and difficult for frosting the cake. I've since tried the above recipe to wonderful success frosting cupcakes.