Carrot Cake

Before you start

A good carrot cake is moist, tender and well spiced, never heavy or oily. Finely grated carrots melt into the crumb and add moisture and sweetness; crushed pineapple adds more moisture and a little acidity, and toasted pecans give crunch. Oil rather than butter keeps the cake soft straight from the refrigerator, which matters because cream cheese frosting means it lives there.

Grate the carrots on the small holes of a box grater or with the fine shredding disc of a food processor. Coarse shreds stay chewy and release water unevenly, leaving damp pockets. Drain the pineapple well but do not squeeze it dry. Baking in a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) pan keeps the job easy and gives every piece plenty of frosting.

Ingredients

• Cake250 g (2 cups, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 large eggs — room temperature
• 200 g (1 cup packed) light brown sugar
• 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
• 240 ml (1 cup) neutral oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 300 g (about 3 cups, 5 medium) carrots — peeled and finely grated
• 115 g (½ cup) canned crushed pineapple — drained
• 100 g (1 cup) pecans — toasted and chopped
• Frosting225 g (8 oz) full-fat block cream cheese — cold
• 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter — softened
• 240 g (2 cups) powdered sugar — sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp finely grated orange zest — optional

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease the pan and line the bottom with parchment. Toast the pecans on a small tray for 7 to 9 minutes while the oven heats, until fragrant, then chop.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a bowl.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and both sugars for about 1 minute, until smooth and slightly thickened. Slowly whisk in the oil and vanilla.
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet with a spatula until a few streaks of flour remain. Fold in the carrots, pineapple and pecans until evenly distributed.
5. Spread the batter in the pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is deep golden, springs back when pressed and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool completely in the pan on a rack, about 1½ hours.
7. For the frosting, beat the butter until smooth, add the cream cheese and beat briefly to combine. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and orange zest and beat until smooth and spreadable. Spread over the cooled cake.

Tips for success

• Weigh the carrots after grating. Too much carrot makes the cake wet and dense; too little makes it dry.
• Toasting the pecans takes 10 minutes and makes a noticeable difference to the flavor of the whole cake.
• The cake is even better on day two, after the spices settle and the crumb absorbs moisture from the frosting.

Substitutions

Pineapple

Use 115 g unsweetened applesauce. The cake is equally moist but a little less bright.

Pecans

Walnuts are traditional too. Leave nuts out entirely and add 75 g raisins or golden raisins soaked in hot water for 10 minutes.

Brown sugar

All granulated sugar works, though the cake is paler and has less caramel depth.

Variations

Layer cake

Bake in two 23 cm (9 in) rounds for 28 to 32 minutes and make 1½ times the frosting to fill and cover.

Cupcakes

Bake in 24 lined muffin cups for 18 to 22 minutes.

Troubleshooting

Heavy, wet streak at the bottom

Too much liquid from undrained pineapple or very wet carrots, or the cake was underbaked. Drain the pineapple and bake until the center springs back.

Cake tastes oily

The eggs and sugar were not whisked enough to emulsify the oil. Whisk them until thick before adding the oil in a slow stream.

Frosting slides off

The cake was warm. Cool fully, and chill the frosting 15 minutes if your kitchen is hot.

Storage

Refrigerate the frosted cake, covered, and eat within 5 days. Do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Unfrosted cake can be wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months.

Safety notes

Cream cheese frosting must be kept cold. Do not taste the raw batter, which contains egg and flour. Contains wheat, egg, milk and tree nuts.