Both are very good cakes, and both received compliments that they were the best carrot cake they had ever tasted! So either one would make a great addition to your Easter Feaster! (And trust me! They are each easy once you get past the carrot grating! PS - think food processor....)
The top one includes raisins and nuts; the bottom one does not. Are you a raisin and nuts in your carrot cake kind of person? Or are you a purest - keep it to carrots only, please. I am divided. I like both with no strong opinions of one over the other.
The top one is covered in slivered almonds. The bottom one is garnished with toasted pecans - cause toasted pecans! (You can add toasted pecans to just about anything, and it'll taste WONDERMOUS!)
It may also appear that the one on the top is a bit fancier than the one on the bottom. That isn't really the case; it's just a matter of piping or not piping. I did on the top one; I didn't on the bottom one. And if you're doing for Easter, you might want to add little carrots as a decoration! Have fun!
The top one is from Helen Fletcher. You can read her full post here. Or I'm repeating the ingredients and steps below.
2 cups flour
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used buttermilk powder and water)
1/4 cup honey
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 t. vanilla
2 cups carrots, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans)
1/2 cup moist raisins (if the raisins are dry, cover with really hot water and soak while preparing the rest of the ingredients; squeeze them to remove excess water)
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Spray center only of two 9" x 2" round cake pans and line with circles of parchment paper. Spray center of parchment only, leaving sides of pans untreated.
Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. (If using buttermilk powder, mix in with these dry ingredients.) Whisk to combine well.
In the bowl of a mixer, combine the eggs, oil, buttermilk (or water), honey and brown sugar. Mix on low to blend completely. Add the flour mixture, mixing on low. Add the raisins, nuts and carrots. Beat on low to completely combine.
Pour into the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pans for 15 minutes and then turn out on racks to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting (recipe below).
See? Easy! And Helen (like always!) knows what she's talking about, so it's a GOOD recipe!
That takes us to the bottom one. This one is from America's Test Kitchen. I typed up the recipe for a friend at work who really like this one a few weeks ago and plans to make it for her Easter family celebration. I hope she has a great success baking it!
Carrot Cake
(America’s Test
Kitchen)
2-1/2 cups
all-purpose flour (I swear by King Arthur Brand flour)
1-1/4 t.
ground cinnamon (I used 2 slightly heaping teaspoons)
1-1/4 t.
baking powder
1 t. baking
soda
½ t. salt
½ t. ground
nutmeg
1/8 t.
ground cloves
1/8 t.
ground ginger (my addition)
4 eggs, room
temperature
1-1/2 cups
sugar
½ cups
packed brown sugar
1-1/2 cups
oil
Splash of
vanilla
1 lb.
carrots (about 6) peeled and grated (3 cups)
Spray the
bottom of one 9” x 13” pan, or two 9” round pans or three 8” round pans. Line the bottom(s) of chosen pans with
parchment paper and then spray the paper.
Preheat oven
to 350°.
Whisk
together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves
and ginger (if using).
In a large
mixing bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid mixer), whisk the eggs and sugars together
until the sugars are almost dissolved and the mixture is frothy. Continue to whisk, while slowly drizzling in
the oil, until thoroughly combined and emulsified. Whisk in the flour mixture until just
incorporated. Stir in the carrots.
Give the
batter a final stir with a rubber spatula to make sure it is thoroughly
combined. Scrape the batter into the
prepared pan(s), smooth the top and lightly tap the pan against the countertop
two or three times to settle the batter.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist
crumbs attached. Begin checking at 25
minutes, but total baking time should take about 35 – 40 minutes.
Cool the
cake in round pans for about 15 minutes or the 9” x 13” pan for about 20
minutes. Run a thin knife around the
edge of the cake and flip out onto a wire rack.
Peel off the parchment paper and then set the pan over the cake until
completely cool.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 – 8oz
package softened cream cheese
1 cup
softened butter (2 sticks)
2 T. sour
cream
Dash of salt
Splash of
vanilla
Splash of
almond
3 drops
lemon oil (optional)
1 lb.
powdered sugar
2 – 4 T.
half-n-half
Beat all
ingredients together until smooth and creamy.
Toasted Pecans
(Cause Toasted Pecans!!!!)
1-1/2 cups
chopped pecans
2 T. butter
3 T. brown
sugar
½ t.
powdered vanilla (optional)
Preheat oven
to 350°. Combine all ingredients in pie
pan. Bake for 7 – 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Return to oven for another 5 – 10 minutes
until fragrant and evenly browned and toasted.
Spread onto waxed paper or foil to cool.
Soaking Syrup
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
2 – 4 T.
Amaretto or rum or other liquor of choice (optional)
Bring the
sugar and water to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add liquor. Allow to cool and place in squeeze bottle.
Assembly
If cake(s)
have humps, even off with a serrated knife to make cakes even and flat. Also since carrot cake flavor improves with
resting, I suggest baking the cake one day and soaking/frosting at least 24
hours later.
Take first
layer and place on serving platter. If
layers have been evened off, make sure cut side is up. If layers have not required evening, poke
holes in the layer with a fork and then squeeze some of the syrup all over to
desired soaking level. Allow the syrup
to settle for a few minutes and then spread icing on the layer. Repeat with the remaining layers and finish
with icing over the sides. Garnish with
the toasted pecans / decorate as desired.
Store in refrigerator.
I don't know about you, but that's a lot of words. I think I need to see the pics again.
Helen's yummy version with soaked raisins and nuts.
And America's Test Kitchen version that would be more for the carrot cake purest.
I have no plans to make carrot cake for our Easter Feaster, but after this post, I may just have to invite another 20 people to join us, so I can make a carrot cake, too!
But which one would I bake????!!!!!
Decisions...decisions...sigh...
Thanks for reading!
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