CARROT CAKE - How to make Perfectly Delicious CARROT CAKE Recipe

A popular Birthday Cake for children, during the late 1800's, in Switzerland. American Restaurants & Cafeterias started serving CARROT CAKE in the early 1960's. Today, CARROT CAKE w/ CHEESE CHEESE FROSTING is most popular for the hearty cake lovers!! AN EXCELLENT FALL SEASON DESSERT!! Click on SHOW MORE below for recipe...

CARROT CAKE W/ CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

3 (8-inch) round cake pans, sprayed with oil or greased & floured, set aside.

CAKE:

• 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 4 eggs
• 1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup whole buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 (1 lb.) bag of fresh carrots, peeled & grated

1. In a medium mixing bowl add flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Whisk well. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl add sugars, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk well or beat 1 minute with electric mixer.
3. At this time, drain the crushed pineapple in a strainer, over bowl, use scapula to push out any excess pineapple juice. Set aside.
4. Using a paring knife, cut end of the carrots. Thinly peel outside layer of carrots with vegetable peeler. Shred carrots using a large hole grater.
5. Add flour mixture (dry) ingredients on top of buttermilk mixture (wet) ingredients. DO NOT MIX!! Add shredded carrots, coconut, walnuts, and well drained pineapples on top of flour. Gently coat these ingredients into the flour mixture. This will prevent carrots, coconut, walnuts and pineapples from sinking to the bottom of cake during baking time. With a large spoon, gently combine tossed dry ingredients into buttermilk (wet) ingredients.
6. Add carrot cake batter, equally (about 3-1/2 cups), into the 3 prepared baking cake pans.
7. Bake in preheat 350 degrees F. oven for 25 - 30 minutes or until inserting toothpick, in the center of cakes, come out clean.
8. Cool cakes in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cakes out of pan onto cooling racks. Cool completely before add the frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

• 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups powder sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, softened
• 1 (8 oz.) box of cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon pure orange extract

In a medium mixing bowl add softened cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and orange extract. With a hand mixer beat until smooth and creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar while beating on low speed. After all the powdered sugar is add, increase speed to high and beat for a additional 3 minutes. This will insure a light and airy cream cheese frosting.

ASSEMBLE CAKE by adding one cake layer, at a time, onto a serving plater. Add frosting between each layer. Frost the side and top of cake. Refrigerate frosted cake for several hours, or overnight, before cutting. Let cake stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

TIPS: Store cake in an airtight container or wrapped well with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 5 days. This cake freezes well, up to 3 months, in airtight wrapping.