Best Ever Yummy Carrot Cake!!!! (With Cream Cheese Frosting)

KirstenSU04's Note:

This is the best, most moist & flavorful carrot cake that I have ever eaten and it is definitely something everyone who tries it will remember! As with most of my recipes, they are bits & pieces from different places all put together to achieve (in my opinion) the perfect recipe. I make this as a 12", 4-layer cake to sell at my restaurant. You can easily half this recipe to make an 8", 3-layer cake or a regular 9 x 13 pan.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 16

Yield: 1.0 12

CAKE

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 cups vegetable oil
• 6 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups shredded carrots
• 1 ½ cups sweetened coconut
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup crushed pineapple , drained (or 8oz can)
• 2 cups raisins

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 20 ounces cream cheese
• 5⁄8; cup butter , softened
• 7 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract (use the clear type if you want really white frosting)

FOR THE FROSTING CARROT DECORATIONS (use cream cheese frosting reserved from above)

• red food coloring
• yellow food coloring
• green food coloring
• powdered sugar , as needed to thicken the frosting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (If using a commercial convection oven, set it for 325 degrees on high fan).
2. FOR THE CAKE:.
3. Grease & flour four 12" round pans.
4. Whisk first six ingredients in a large bowl until combined(flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt & cinnamon).
5. In a separate smaller bowl, lightly beat oil, eggs & vanilla until combined.
6. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture until just combined.
7. Carefully stir in the carrots, coconut, walnuts, pineapple & raisins until everything is evenly dispersed.
8. Pour the batter into your greased & floured pans.
9. Bake in the oven, turning half way through, until a toothpick comes out clean. When you lightly push on the cake it should spring back if it is done. (It takes about 25-30 minutes in a convection oven, but will probably take longer in a household oven).
10. Cool the cake on cooling racks until it is room temperature. I cool mine in the fridge to speed things up -- but either way will work.
11. FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:.
12. While the cake is baking & cooling you can make your frosting.
13. Beat cream cheese & softened butter in your mixer until it is light & fluffy.
14. With your mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar a little at a time so it doesn't fly out everywhere.
15. Continue beating until the frosting is smooth.
16. Add the vanilla to the frosting & continue to mix until combined.
17. This frosting should be a thick fluffy consistency so you can spread it easily but it won't run.
18. If you want a thinner frosting add less powdered sugar, if you want it thicker add more powdered sugar.
19. TO ASSEMBLE CAKE:.
20. When the cakes are cool, put a dollop of frosting on each one & spread around so there is an evenly covered layer (about 1/4" - 1/2" thick).
21. If you put too much frosting it will squish out from the weight of the stacked cakes.
22. Spread the remainder of the frosting on the sides of the cake.
23. FOR THE CARROT DECORATIONS:.
24. Take two small bowls of frosting.
25. To one add green food coloring until you get a nice "carrot stem green" color.
26. To the other bowl add red + yellow food coloring to make a nice "carrot orange" color.
27. Add extra powdered sugar to each to make the frosting very thick. Then use a pastry bag to pipe little carrots with green stems on the top of the cake.
28. You can use a zip-top bag with a tiny hole cut in the corner to pipe out the frosting carrots if you don't have a pastry bag.

Reviews

[KDesiP]

This was truly a yummy cake! However, there are a couple of changes I made that improved it the next time (IMHO):

2 cups applesauce instead of oil, added a little more cinnamon, baked at 325 degrees for about 50 minutes. When I made the cake straight by the recipe, the center fell almost as soon as it began to cool, even though the tester came out clean, so i think the added, lower temperature, cook time is crucial! BUT, it is a fantastic recipe!