Carrot Cake: for the (Not-So) Serious Connoisseur

Put It On a Plate First!

I cannot explain how it came to be, or when it happened, but I love carrot cake.  It is by far my favorite dessert.  Yes, I will choose this wonderfully dense and full-bodied treat over even chocolate.  The problem with carrot cake, like many somewhat esoteric foods, is that finding a really good one can be difficult.  Not long ago (geologically speaking), the one restaurant I knew where I could find a decent slice of this delightful confection stopped carrying it.  Appalled and devastated, I searched in vain to find a replacement.  I had almost given up when…

I recently stumbled across a recipe that was close, so in classic Katey fashion; I tweaked and modified the ingredients and processes until I had a dessert that adequately met my definition of good carrot cake.  Okay, that is not true.  I nailed it on the first try; I just don’t like to brag.  It is bad kitchen karma.  Without further delay, here is my rendition of a classic dessert.

Kate’s Carrot Cake

Ingredients

The Cake:

2 cups – Flour

2 cups – Sugar

2 teaspoons – Baking Soda

1 teaspoon – Baking Powder

½ teaspoon – Salt

1 teaspoon – Ground Cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon – Ground Cloves

1/8 teaspoon – Ground Nutmeg

4 cups – Grated Carrots

4 large Eggs

1½ cups – Vegetable Oil

1½ teaspoons – Vanilla Extract

1 can (8 oz.) – Crushed Pineapple w/Juice

¾ cup – Finely Chopped Pecans

The Frosting:

1 package (8 oz.) – Cream Cheese

½ cup – Butter, softened

3½ cups – Confectioner’s Sugar

1¼ teaspoons – Vanilla Extract

The Topping:

¼ cup – Finely Chopped Pecans

Preparation

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, until well combined.
• Add remaining ingredients, carrots, eggs, oil, vanilla, pineapple, and pecans, to the dry ingredients and stir until well blended.
• Pour contents into a well-greased 9X13-baking pan and bake at 325 degrees for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Place on cooling rack and let cool completely
• To make the frosting, combine cream cheese, butter, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until ingredients are smooth and creamy.
• Spread frosting evenly over the fully cooled cake and dust with chopped pecans.
• Cover and refrigerate. 

Serve

• Resist the urge to eat directly from the pan.  Use a plate.
• I prefer it cool, but warm cake is delicious too.
• Best served after a light dinner; this cake will fill you up! 

Tips

• I get all my ingredients out on the counter before I start combining things, otherwise I will forget something.
• I prefer to use a glass baking pan, though metal would probably work alright.
• If your powdered sugar has been sitting for a while, it may help to sift or whisk it prior to mixing with the creams.  This will cut down on the mixing time.

As always, happy cooking, my friends!

(and save me a slice... wink, wink)

Love,

Kate

Super Duper Moist and Delicious!