What To Bake for Easter
The perfect carrot cake for any family event, holiday, weekend celebration, or birthday party…
THE PERFECT CARROT CAKE
This ain’t your momma’s carrot cake! This is a recipe that has been tested and perfected. I probably made it over a dozen times until I found the most mouth-watering ratio between the batter, browned-butter frosting and pecan filling. I’ve had several clients in the past ask for the recipe, and I’ve reluctantly shared it with them, wishing all too much to one day sell it at my own (currently nonexistent) bakery… but now that Easter is next weekend, I want to share it with the rest of the world too! Y’all! It’s so good. Worth every moment of labor. It’s an act of love and a sneaky way to get your friends and family to gather together around the table.
(SERVES 12-16)
INGREDIENTS • PECAN FILLING
⅔ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup butter
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. vanilla extract
INGREDIENTS • CAKE BATTER
1 ¼ cup avocado oil
1 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
3 ½ cups grated carrots
½ cup grated pineapple1
1 cup raisins2
1 cup chopped pecans
INGREDIENTS • FROSTING
12 Tbsp. butter, browned & cooled back to room temperature
6 oz. softened cream cheese
1 to 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
To make the PECAN FILLING, whisk together the sugar, flour & salt from the first column in a large saucepan. Add the cream and the butter and cook over medium heat until the butter is melted. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in nuts and vanilla. Remove from the heat, set aside and cool completely.
To make the CAKE BATTER, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Using a pen, place a 9-inch cake pan on top of a piece of parchment paper and trace the circumference of the pan onto the parchment paper. Cut and repeat twice more. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans and line the bottom with the parchment cut-out.
Whisk together the sugar and oil in a large bowl. Separately combine the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Slowly alternate adding an egg and then some of the dry ingredients into the oil mixture, beating well after each addition, until all eggs and all of the dry ingredients are added. Fold in the carrots, pineapple, raisins and nuts with a large spatula.
Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared cake pans and tap each one aggressively on the counter to remove any air bubbles from the batter. Place the cakes in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center barely comes out clean. A few crumbs sticking to the toothpick is okay (it will simply ensure the cake does not overcook while cooling, creating a more moist interior).
Let the cakes cool in their tins on a wire rack for 15 minutes and then flip out onto the rack and cool completely.
To make the FROSTING, using an eclectic beater, beat the browned butter, cream cheese and vanilla extract until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup of powdered sugar and beat until smooth, starting with 1 cup. Taste. If you’d like the frosting sweeter, add the additional ½ cup. Or if the frosting also feels a little too loose to spread over the cake, add the additional ½ cup of powdered sugar. Set aside in a cool place.
To assemble the PERFECT CARROT CAKE, trim each layer of cake so that it is even all the way across the top. Enjoy the scraps or if you’re feeing generous share them with whomever may be in the kitchen with you drooling over the cake. Once the layers are trimmed (and consumed), place a little dollop of cream cheese frosting in the middle of your cake stand. Align the bottom cake layer with the cream cheese and press onto the cake stand. Spread half of the filling evenly over the bottom layer. Cover with a second layer and repeat with the remaining filling. Top with the last layer of cake and frost the tops and sides with the browned butter cream cheese frosting.3
Decorate the top surface with roasted pecans or as you please. Slice and enjoy at room temperature. Store the cake on the counter for up to three days or in the fridge for up to seven, returning the cake to room temperature before serving.
I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do! Please don’t let the long list of ingredients and directions hinder you from trying–It’s easier than it looks and much, much yummier.
That first scrumptious bite of moist and tender cake is worth every bit of effort. The smile on your husband’s face will account for the rest.
xoxo & bon appétit
The grated pineapple not only adds flavor, but the enzymes packed within the fruit itself helps the cake turn out wonderfully moist.
I recommend soaking the raisins in hot, boiling water for 10 minutes. This will help them regain a moist plumpness. Drain them thoroughly and add them to the batter as directed.
Pro tip! After trimming my cake layers, I tend to freeze them for at least 30 minutes. This helps prevent the risk of any crumbs coming detached while frosting the cake. It also prevents the frosting from the risk of being overworked and melting. While it is a totally unnecessary step (as in the cake will stay taste perfect), it really makes the entire assembly and frosting of the cake that much easier. Once done, let the cake come back to room temperature before serving.