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Carrot cake
With its outstanding spice flavour, super moist crumb, and velvety cream cheese frosting, this is truly the best carrot cake. Use brown sugar and toasted pecans for deeper flavour.
YIELDS
12
Ingredients
Cake
- 6 tbps (90 ml) dark rum
- 6 tbps (90 ml) currants
- 4 cups (1 L) flour
- 1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder
- 1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda
- 1 tbps (15 ml) cinnamon
- 1 tsp (5 ml) nutmeg
- 1 tsp (5 ml) salt
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) pecans, toasted and chopped
- 1 tbps (15 ml) ginger, grated
- 8 eggs
- 1 1/2 cup (360 ml) white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) vegetable oil
- 7 cups (1.7 L) carrots, grated
- 1 cup (240 ml) applesauce
Icing
- 1 cup (240 ml) butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (1 L) icing sugar
- 4 x 8oz. (904 g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 tsps (10 ml) vanilla extract
- Reserved rum from the currants
Garnish
- Pecans, finely chopped and toasted
- Cinnamon, to garnish
Directions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
- Microwave the rum and currants together for 45 seconds. Cover tightly and set aside to allow them to plump for 10 minutes. When ready, drain, reserve currants and discard rum.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Transfer ¼ cup (60 ml) of this mixture to a small bowl and add the drained currants, chopped nuts, and grated ginger; toss to combine.
- In a separate bowl, add eggs and beat.
- Add sugar and brown sugar and beat.
- Add vegetable oil and beat.
- Pour into dry ingredients and stir until well combined, then stir in the carrots, the currant-nut mixture, and the applesauce and mix to incorporate.
- Pour into two 8-inch (20-cm) greased, parchment lined cake pans.
- Bake for 90-95 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
For the Icing
- Whip together butter and cream cheese and beat until smooth.
- Add icing sugar and continue beating.
- Add vanilla and beat until incorporated.
- Keep cool. Refrigerate if not using right away.
To Assemble
- Slice the tops from the two cakes to level.
- Spread icing on each layer of cake and stack.
- Refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Place on a cake spinner, use an offset spatula to spread icing around outside and over the top until smooth all around.
- Refrigerate 1 hour.
- Place a 5-inch (12.5 cm) bowl over the center of the cake. Sprinkle chopped pecan pieces around the edge.
- Remove bowl. Dust cinnamon lightly over the center.
- Cut into slices and serve. Enjoy!
