Carrot layer cake with cream cheese frosting

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour (310g, spoon and leveled)
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 3 ground cloves
• 5 cups grated carrots* (1 lb / 450g, grated on small holes of a box grater and loosely packed in a cup)
• 1 cup vegetable oil (235g, use a neutral- tasting oil)
• 1/3 cup applesauce (85g)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200g, scoop and leveled)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar (150g, scoop and leveled)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
• 16 oz cream cheese (2 packages, full-fat, 450g, at room temperature)
• 1 stick butter (115g, at room temperature)
• 2 cups powdered sugar (240g)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• a large pinch of salt

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Carrot cake: ---

2. 2

   The ingredients should be at room temperature.

3. 3

   Prepare your 8-inch / 20-cm cake pan / springform pan. You can bake the cake in 1, 2 or 3 pans (read more in notes!). If you want to bake the cake in one pan, it must be an extra deep/high rim pan (3-inch / 7.5 cm, measured in the inside). Line the bottom of the pan with baking paper and butter its sides. Set aside.

4. 4

   Prepare all the ingredients, then set the oven to 320°F / 160°C / Gas Mark 3, no fan (if you have a convection oven, reduce the temperature by 20°).

5. 5

   Mix all the dry ingredients together: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves (you can grind them in a coffee grinder or using a pestle and mortar).

6. 6

   Mix all wet ingredients together: grated carrots, oil, applesauce, eggs, white and brown sugar, vanilla extract, chopped nuts.

7. 7

   Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until combined, but be careful not to overmix the batter.

8. 8

   Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. If using more than 1 cake pan, divide the batter evenly into the pans. If you‘re baking the cake in three pans bake the cakes for 45 minutes, if baking in one pan - bake for 1h 30 min - 1h 45min. At the end of the baking time, if the cake starts to brown too much, you can cover it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil. The cake is ready when a wooden stick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

9. 9

   After putting the cake in the oven, start making the frosting.

10. 10

    --- Cream cheese frosting: ---

11. 11

    The ingredients should be at room temperature.

12. 12

    Beat the butter and powdered sugar with a mixer (fitted with a whisk attachment), for about 2-3 minutes, until fluffy.

13. 13

    Add the cream cheese and mix until a smooth frosting forms.

14. 14

    Add the lemon juice and salt, mix until smooth.

15. 15

    Place the frosting in the fridge.

16. 16

    --- Assembling the cake: ---

17. 17

    Place the baked cake on a cooling rack and leave for 10 minutes then take out off the pan (or remove side of the springform pan). Leave it to cool completely (!), it will take about 30-60 minutes.

18. 18

    If you’ve baked the carrot cake in 1 pan: Level the cake then cut it into 3 layers. First mark the height of each layer then make shallow cuts with a long serrated knife around the cake, then saw through the middle of each layer.

19. 19

    The most bottom layer of the cake should be now the top layer (it’s most even). Frost the cake and smooth its surface with an offset spatula. You can sprinkle the cake with chopped walnuts.

20. 20

    Put the cake in the fridge for a minimum of one hour - it will be easier to cut into portions.