Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 450 ml vegetable oil; 400 g all-purpose flour; 2 tsp baking soda; 400 g granulated sugar; 5 large eggs; 1.5 tsp kosher salt; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 500 g (about 6 large) carrots, peeled and grated; 150 g walnuts, roughly chopped; 200 g cream cheese, room temperature (for frosting); 150 g powdered sugar (for frosting); 100 g unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)

From the kitchen of Carly

The dessert that snuck vegetables into the dessert canon and got away with it. Soft, moist crumb scented with cinnamon, packed with grated carrot and walnuts, finished with the cream cheese frosting it's nothing without. Grate the carrots yourself. Pre-shredded bagged carrots are too dry and the cake suffers.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Total: 2 hr 10 min
Servings: 12
Difficulty: easy

Ingredients

12 servings

450 mlvegetable oil
400 gall-purpose flour
2 tspbaking soda
400 ggranulated sugar
5large eggs
1.5 tspkosher salt
2 tspground cinnamon
500 g (about 6 large)carrots, peeled and grated
150 gwalnuts, roughly chopped
200 gcream cheese, room temperature (for frosting)
150 gpowdered sugar (for frosting)
100 gunsalted butter, softened (for frosting)

Instructions

Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease a 10-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the vegetable oil, flour, baking soda, granulated sugar, eggs, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
Fold in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts with a spatula. The batter will look hearty and orange.
Pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with the spatula.
Bake on the middle rack for 1 hour 15 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge, release the springform, and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting: in a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and softened butter together with a hand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Once the cake is fully cooled (warm cake melts the frosting), spread the frosting over the top with an offset spatula. Don't worry about smoothing perfectly; rustic swoops look better.
Slice and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers; cake stays moist 4 days.

Substitutions

walnuts to pecans, raisins, or shredded coconut. Pecans are sweeter; raisins add chew (1 cup); coconut takes it tropical (1 cup unsweetened).
vegetable oil to melted coconut oil. Coconut oil adds a faint tropical note. Use the same amount; cool to room temperature before mixing.
cream cheese frosting to thick whipped cream + a drizzle of honey. Lighter, less sweet, and more rustic. Less stable; serve within a few hours.

Pairs well with: A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream alongside, Hot black coffee or a strong English breakfast tea, A glass of dessert wine like Sauternes for special occasions

Adapted from TheMealDB.