There's nothing quite like food to spark a memory. For my parents' From Food & Wine
Classic Carrot Cake With Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For cake:
1 cup pecans (4 ounces)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 pound carrots, peeled and coarsely shredded
For frosting
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter two 9-inch cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment. Butter the paper and flour the pans.
- Make the cake: Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes, until fragrant. Cool and finely chop the pecans.
- In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- In a small bowl, whisk the oil, buttermilk and vanilla.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar at high speed until pale, 5 minutes.
- Beat in the liquid ingredients. Beat in the dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in the carrots and pecans.
- Divide the batter between the pans and bake the cakes for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until springy and golden. Let the cakes cool on a rack for 30 minutes, then unmold the cakes and let cool completely.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese at high speed until light, about 5 minutes.
- Beat in the vanilla, then the confectioners’ sugar; beat at low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Peel off the parchment paper and invert one cake layer onto a plate. Spread with a slightly rounded cup of the frosting.
- Top with the second cake layer, right side up. Spread the top and sides with the remaining frosting and refrigerate the cake until chilled, about 1 hour. Slice and serve.
Serves 8-10.
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