If you ask people from all around the world which cake they like the most, you will often get the answer »cheesecake«! In the US you will also find plenty of people that like Carrot Cakes a lot. Here in Germany we are not that fond of carrot cakes – even though Starbucks does a good job of trying to convince us. Their carrot cake is awesome. Anyway. I am a huge carrot cake fan and love to bake it. I am not eating much of it though (because of all the sugar) but my friends and colleagues are very happy each time they get a slice of goodness.
I have to admit, I could have decorated this Carrot Cake here a little bit more. A few marzipan carrots here and there would have been nice, but basically it doesn’t need all of that – the delicious taste speaks for itself. If you want to make this cake for the upcoming Easter festivities you can add some more decoration, of course. It can’t hurt…
A classic Carrot Cake, as Americans like to bake it, is simply a blast. It tastes great and is super moist (I know you don’t like that word but there is no other way to describe it, so get over it). A cake like this one here stays fresh and delicious for days and, to be honest, gets even better over time. The combination of the cake with the carrots, nuts and cream cheese frosting is just amazing. I have to admit, though, that I have some problems with cream cheese frosting. Not only because of all the sugar that goes into it – luckily you can replace it with xylitol and other things – I always have some issues with the consistency of this kind of frosting…
Americans love cream cheese frosting and use it for many other cakes as well. Here in Germany I honestly don’t know any cake that uses a frosting like that – except, of course, American cakes you can buy here. Cream cheese frosting can cause some problems, depending on what kind of cream cheese you use. It works best with »dry« cream cheese – the one you can actually cut. Here in Germany you almost always get only the spreadable one that has a lot of water in it.
Unfortunately, that one is not ideal for a good cream cheese frosting. When whipping up the cream cheese with butter everything is fine – as soon as you add confectioners’ sugar the trouble begins. The sugar pulls the water out of the cream cheese and makes the frosting very soft and sometimes even runny. If you’re lucky, the frosting gets a bit firmer if you cool it down well, but sometimes it doesn’t and then it becomes difficult to work with it…
There are several things you can do to solve or mitigate this problem. For example, you can put the cream cheese in a cheesecloth the day before and let it drain overnight in a sieve – this should get some of the liquid out of the cream cheese. Another way to stabilize a cream cheese frosting is milk powder. If you replace a small amount of the confectioners’ sugar with milk powder, it will bind water and the consistency of the frosting will turn out better.
Another way to make cream cheese frosting work is changing the way you mix ingredients together (instead of adding something or replacing something) – this actually works best for me: first, you mix the butter with the confectioners’ sugar. This will lock in the sugar and when you add the cream cheese it will not »react« with the water in the cream cheese. The frosting will be nice and firm. Sometimes so firm you could even decorate cupcakes with it. In my recipe here you will find the »classic« approach, which means adding the confectioners’ sugar at the end – if you have had problems with this method before because the cream cheese you always use is too soft, try the other method…
Otherwise, have fun baking this little delicacy!
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
For the cake:
1 cup (100g) walnuts, chopped
16 oz. (450g) carrots, grated
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
4 large eggs
1 cup (200g) sugar (fine)*
1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar*
2 tsp. vanilla extract*
3/4 cup (180ml) vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups (325g) stronger all-purpose flour*
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon*
2 tsp. ground ginger*
1/2 tsp. nutmeg*
1 tsp. salt
For the frosting:
12 oz. (340g) cream cheese, at room temperature
6 oz. (170g) butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract*
1 pinch of salt
2 cups (260g) confectioners’ sugar
For the decoration:
3.5 oz. (100g) walnuts, chopped
Für die Kuchenschichten:
100g Walnüsse, gehackt
450g Karotten, geraspelt
240ml Buttermilch
4 Eier (L)
200g Zucker (fein)*
100g brauner Zucker*
2 TL Vanille Extrakt*
180ml Pflanzenöl
325g Mehl (Type 550)*
2 TL Backpulver
3/4 TL Natron
2 TL Zimt*, gemahlen
2 TL Ingwer*, gemahlen
1/2 TL Muskatnuss*
1 TL Salz
Für das Frosting:
340g Frischkäse, Zimmertemperatur
170g Butter, Zimmertemperatur
2 TL Vanille Extrakt*
1 Prise Salz
260g Puderzucker
Für die Dekoration:
100g Walnüsse, gehackt
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease two springform tins (23cm)* and line with baking parchment and set aside. Add the chopped walnuts (the ones for the decoration as well) to a baking sheet and toast for about 8-10 minutes in the oven until fragrant. Take them out and let them cool down. Keep the oven running. Grate the carrots and mix with the buttermilk. Set aside.
2. Add the eggs together with both sugars to a large bowl and mix until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and mix it in. Gradually add the oil and mix it in. Mix the flour with baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a separate bowl until well combined. Add alternating with the carrot-buttermilk mixture to the large bowl and mix until just combined. Add the chopped walnuts and fold in. Divide the batter between the two prepared baking tins and bake for about 35-45 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Take it out of the oven and let it cool down a bit in the tins, then remove it and let it cool down completely on a wire rack.
3. For the frosting, add the cream cheese and butter to a large bowl – make sure both are at room temperature. Mix until well combined. Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix it in. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix it in on low speed, then mix on high speed for a minute or two until light and fluffy.
4. To assemble the cake, place one of the cake layers on a serving plate. If the cakes are domed, cut off the domed part and even them out first. Spread some of the frosting on top of the cake layer, place the second layer on top and then cover the complete cake with a thin layer of frosting. Place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes so the frosting can cool and dry a bit. Take it out of the fridge and spread the remaining frosting on the cake. Decorate with some chopped walnuts and cool for at least 1 hour more before serving.
1. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Zwei Springformen (23cm)* leicht einfetten und mit Backpapier auslegen. Zur Seite stellen. Die gehackten Walnüsse (die für den Kuchen und die Dekoration zusammen) auf einem Backblech verteilen und für etwa 8-10 Minuten im Ofen rösten, bis sie anfangen zu duften. Aus dem Ofen holen und abkühlen lassen. Den Ofen nicht ausschalten. Die Karotten raspeln und dann mit der Buttermilch vermischen – zur Seite stellen.
2. Die Eier zusammen mit den beiden Zuckersorten in eine große Schüssel geben und auf höchster Stufe hell und fluffig aufschlagen. Vanille Extrakt dazugeben und unterrühren. Das Öl nach und nach dazugeben und dabei weiterhin rühren. Mehl mit Backpulver, Natron, Zimt, Ingwer, Muskatnuss und Salz in einer zweiten Schüssel vermischen – in zwei Portionen abwechselnd mit den Karotten zur großen Schüssel dazugeben und nur kurz unterrühren. Die gehackten Walnüsse (100g) dazugeben und unterheben. Den Teig auf die beiden vorbereiteten Springformen aufteilen und dann für etwa 35-45 Minuten backen – mit einem Holzspieß testen, ob noch Teig kleben bleibt, und den Kuchen erst herausholen, wenn der Spieß sauber herauskommt. Kuchen aus dem Ofen holen und für ein paar Minuten in den Formen abkühlen lassen, dann herauslösen und auf einem Kuchengitter komplett auskühlen lassen.
3. Für das Frosting den Frischkäse und die Butter in eine große Schüssel geben – beide Zutaten sollten Zimmertemperatur haben – und dann gut verrühren. Vanille Extrakt dazugeben und unterrühren. Den Puderzucker dazugeben und erst langsam, dann auf höchster Stufe verrühren, bis die Mischung luftig aufgeschlagen ist.
4. Zum Zusammenbau des Kuchens eine der Kuchenschichten auf eine Servierplatte setzen. Sollten sich die Kuchen stark gewölbt haben, dann erst den gewölbten Teil abschneiden und die Kuchenschichten begradigen. Etwas von dem Frosting auf dem Kuchen verteilen und dann die zweite Kuchenschicht auflegen und leicht festdrücken. Den kompletten Kuchen mit einer ersten (dünnen) Schicht Frosting einstreichen und dann für etwa 30 Minuten in den Kühlschrank stellen, damit das Frosting etwas abkühlen und fester werden kann. In einer zweiten Runde dann eine weitere Schicht auftragen und dann mit den restlichen gehackten Walnüssen dekorieren. Vor dem Servieren noch einmal mindestens eine Stunde in den Kühlschrank stellen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Classic Carrot Cake
- Prep Time: 00:30
- Cook Time: 00:55
- Total Time: 03:00
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: -
- Cuisine: United States
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
An American Classic – Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. A super delicious & moist cake that’s packed with flavors. So good – you want more than one slice!
Ingredients
For the cake:
1 cup (100g) walnuts, chopped
16 oz. (450g) carrots, grated
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
4 large eggs
1 cup (200g) sugar (fine)*
1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar*
2 tsp. vanilla extract*
3/4 cup (180ml) vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups (325g) stronger all-purpose flour*
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon*
2 tsp. ground ginger*
1/2 tsp. nutmeg*
1 tsp. salt
For the frosting:
12 oz. (340g) cream cheese, at room temperature
6 oz. (170g) butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract*
1 pinch of salt
2 cups (260g) confectioners‘ sugar
For the decoration:
3.5 oz. (100g) walnuts, chopped
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease two springform tins (23cm)* and line with baking parchment and set aside. Add the chopped walnuts (the ones for the decoration as well) to a baking sheet and toast for about 8-10 minutes in the oven until fragrant. Take them out and let them cool down. Keep the oven running. Grate the carrots and mix with the buttermilk. Set aside.
2. Add the eggs together with both sugars to a large bowl and mix until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and mix it in. Gradually add the oil and mix it in. Mix the flour with baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a separate bowl until well combined. Add alternating with the carrot-buttermilk mixture to the large bowl and mix until just combined. Add the chopped walnuts and fold in. Divide the batter between the two prepared baking tins and bake for about 35-45 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Take it out of the oven and let it cool down a bit in the tins, then remove it and let it cool down completely on a wire rack.
3. For the frosting, add the cream cheese and butter to a large bowl – make sure both are at room temperature. Mix until well combined. Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix it in. Add the confectioners‘ sugar and mix it in on low speed, then mix on high speed for a minute or two until light and fluffy.
4. To assemble the cake, place one of the cake layers on a serving plate. If the cakes are domed, cut off the domed part and even them out first. Spread some of the frosting on top of the cake layer, place the second layer on top and then cover the complete cake with a thin layer of frosting. Place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes so the frosting can cool and dry a bit. Take it out of the fridge and spread the remaining frosting on the cake. Decorate with some chopped walnuts and cool for at least 1 hour more before serving.
Notes
Enjoy baking!
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