An earthy, moist layered carrot cake recipe with just the right amount of spice and sweetness! Filled with a heavenly whipped cream & cream cheese frosting.
In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
1 ½ cups cake flour, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp baking powder, ¾ tsp fine salt, ½ tsp baking soda
Using either a hand or stand mixer (with the whisk attachment), beat the sugar and oil on medium speed. Whisk these ingredients until they are smooth— about 1 minute. Then add the eggs one at a time, beating well to incorporate each one. Finally, add the vanilla.
1 ½ cups granulated sugar, ¾ cup safflower oil , 3 whole eggs, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Reduce the mixer speed to low, and mix in the carrots as well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet a few spoons at a time. Finally, stir in the nuts (ideally, toasted).
2 cups carrots, ¾ cup pecans
Pour and spread the carrot cake batter evenly in the parchment-lined jelly roll pan. You can give the pan a top on the work surface to level the batter.
Bake the Carrot Cake
Bake the carrot cake in a preheated 350°F (180°C) static oven for 18 to 20 minutes. Bake the cake until you can insert a toothpick into the center of the cake and have it come out clean. For even baking, you can turn the cake halfway through the bake time.
Transfer the baked carrot cake to a cooling rack and let it cool in the pan. When the cake is cool, loosen the sides with a spatula or something similar. Turn the cake over onto a cutting board. Gently peel off the parchment paper. With the long side of the cake facing you, cut the cake vertically into four (equal) rectangular slices pieces. These will be our four carrot cake layers.
Make the Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer) with the whisk attachment, whisk together cream cheese (or mascarpone cheese), heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla until smooth (about a minute). Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until you achieve stiff peaks —around 30-60 seconds. Be careful not to over beat the frosting.
18 oz cream cheese, 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Assemble the Layered Carrot Cake
Place one of the majestic cake layers on a serving plate (cake stand or cake platter). To keep the surface clean as you frosting the cake , you can tuck strips of waxed paper or parchment just under the edges of the cake.
With your spatula, spread a generous 1/2 cup of the enchanting frosting evenly over this base layer. Think of this as laying the foundation for your glorious tower! Each layer you add should be level to be sure your cake is stable and lovely when the layers are finished.
Time for the second layer! Be sure the edges align. If the cake layer does not look level, apply slight pressure to make it level. Top with another heaping 1/2 cup of frosting.Repeat this process with the third layer of cake, spreading another lavish 1/2 cup of frosting.Crown your tower with the fourth and final layer, top side up. Your tower now stands tall and proud!
Let your cake chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to fortify its defenses (firm up the frosting).
Brush off any crumbs with a pastry brush. Then spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake for the final touch. For a well-rested and set cake, let it refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 12 hours.
Garnish (Optional)
Top the cake with the candied nuts, candied carrot curls—or whatever inspires you.
3 tbsp granulated sugar, ½ cup pecans or walnuts
Notes
To Make Candied Nuts...To top this cake, you can purchase candied pecans or walnuts, or make them candied yourself!Spread the granulated sugar in the center of a nonstick skillet. Now cook the sugar over medium-low heat without stirring it until the sugar has melted and become a golden syrup— about 3 minutes.Add the pecans or walnuts to the syrup and stir to coat the nuts. Continue cooking the nuts until the sugar is a dark amber color—about 2 minutes. Remove the nuts from the heat and transfer them to parchment paper to cool. Coarsely chop them if you like.