This homemade four-layer carrot cake is the ultimate carrot cake you’ll ever taste. Packed with shredded carrots, walnuts, and a blend of spices, it’s a delightful treat. What sets this carrot cake apart is that it’s made without pineapple.

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Carrot cake is essentially a spice cake, enhanced with the addition of shredded carrots. Spice cakes are a delight thanks to their aromatic spices.

With so many ingredients involved, it’s crucial to ensure that each one complements the next. Achieving the right balance between cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger is key.

This carrot cake recipe skips the pineapple and instead relies on vegetable oil and buttermilk to ensure it’s tender and never dry.

The Best Carrot Cake

A four-layer carrot cake is an exquisite and delectable dessert that delights the senses in numerous ways. Its irresistible deliciousness is a result of the harmonious interplay of ingredients, flavors, and textures, making it a favorite among cake enthusiasts.

The flavor profile of carrot cake is another reason for its popularity. Traditional recipes incorporate a medley of warm spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and sometimes cloves. These spices, combined with the natural sweetness of carrots and sugar, create a symphony of taste and aroma that’s both comforting and indulgent. The cake strikes a perfect balance between sweet and spicy, a combination that’s hard to resist.

Cream cheese frosting, a classic companion to carrot cake, adds an extra layer of deliciousness. Its velvety, tangy goodness contrasts beautifully with the sweetness of the cake layers. The cream cheese frosting not only enhances the flavor but also provides a creamy, luxurious texture that complements the cake’s moist crumb.

The ingredients for this carrot cake are quite similar to those in any other cake, with one notable exception: there’s no pineapple in this carrot cake. Here’s a breakdown of the key ingredients:

• Sugar: Sugar is essential to sweeten the cake. Cane sugar is preferred for its slightly healthier profile compared to refined white sugar.
• Vegetable Oil: Vegetable oil is what provides the carrot cake with its moist and tender texture. It’s a flavorless oil, so substituting it with another oil should be done with care.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk is another crucial liquid that adds moisture to the cake.
• Eggs: This recipe calls for a total of 3 large eggs, which serve as binders, holding the cake together.
• Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor; avoid imitation extracts.
• All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour is used in this recipe, which doesn’t contain any leavening agents, just plain flour.
• Salt: Salt is used to enhance the flavors of the cake.
• Baking Powder: Baking powder is used for leavening.
• Baking Soda: Baking soda also contributes to the leavening process.
• Spices: Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg are the spices that give the cake its signature flavor.
• Walnuts: Walnuts are an optional ingredient and can be omitted if you’re not a fan.
• Carrots: Freshly shredded carrots are a must. Use the smaller grate on your grater to shred them.

Let’s address some common questions about making carrot cake and see if this recipe is the right fit for you:

• Why was it dry? The dryness in a carrot cake is often due to insufficient moisture. This recipe addresses that issue by using vegetable oil and buttermilk to keep the cake moist.
• May I add pineapples and walnuts? Whether to include pineapples and walnuts is a matter of personal preference. This recipe is designed for those who prefer carrot cake without pineapple. Walnuts add a nice earthy, spiced cake flavor and provide some texture, but they can be omitted if you prefer.
• How much spice may go in? Achieving the right balance of spices is essential. Too much spice can overpower the cake, making it hard to taste the carrots. This recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon each of ginger and nutmeg, which is a perfect combination.
• May I use butter in my batter? Butter can make the cake denser, which is not ideal for a moist carrot cake. This recipe uses vegetable oil for a lighter and moisturized texture.
• Oil? Milk? Why one over the other? Vegetable oil is the preferred choice for this carrot cake recipe. It doesn’t have a strong flavor like olive oil or avocado oil, which could alter the taste of the cake. While you can try another type of oil, be aware that it may affect the cake’s flavor.
• What temperature could you bake carrot cake at? Carrot cake is best baked at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, which yields a relatively flat cake top, ideal for stacking layers. The baking time typically falls between 30 to 35 minutes, but it’s essential to employ the toothpick method to check for doneness, starting at the 30-minute mark. If the toothpick emerges clean when inserted in the cake’s center, it’s ready. Using room-temperature ingredients contributes to even baking.
• How can you prevent a cake from having a rounded top and achieve a flat surface? Baking the cake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit is the key to ensuring flat cake tops. This lower temperature allows the cake to rise more gradually. If you desire an even flatter appearance, you can utilize cake pan strips that wrap around the pans. In case the cake does have a slightly rounded top, you have the option to trim it or level it during the frosting process.

FAQ:

• Which cake pan size is recommended for making the carrot cake?
  Standard 9-inch cake pans are recommended. Alternatively, you can use 6-inch cake pans for an extra tall cake, but you’ll need to adjust the baking time.
• Why is my carrot cake dry?
  What might cause dryness in a carrot cake, and how can I avoid it?
• Is it possible to adapt this recipe for a gluten-free carrot cake?
  This recipe has not been tested with gluten-free flour, so it’s challenging to determine the outcome of such a substitution.
• How can I turn this recipe into carrot cake cupcakes?
  Yes, you can make carrot cake cupcakes. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and bake them until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Why didn’t my cake rise?
  What should I expect in terms of rising when making carrot cake, and is it different from other cakes?

Love Cakes? Be sure to check out these other great cake recipes!

• Apple Crumble Cake

• Hummingbird Cake

• Chocolate Bundt Cake

• Red Velvet Cake

 

THE BEST CARROT CAKE

This homemade four-layer carrot cake is the ultimate carrot cake you’ll ever taste. Packed with shredded carrots, walnuts, and a blend of spices, it’s a delightful treat. What sets this carrot cake apart is that it’s made without pineapple.

prep time: 30 minutes
cook time: 30 minutes
cooling time: 2 hours
total time: 3 hours

INGREDIENTS

For the Cake:

• 1 and 1/2 cups of cane sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup of buttermilk
• 1 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon of ginger
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
• 3 cups of finely grated carrots (approximately 5 medium-sized carrots, totaling about 9-10 ounces)

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 cup of butter
• 2 sticks of cream cheese (16 ounces total)
• 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar
• A pinch of kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• A splash of heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F.
2. In a stand mixer, beat the sugar and eggs on medium speed for about 1 minute until the mixture thickens.
3. Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
4. While the mixer is on low speed, slowly drizzle in the oil.
5. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, and baking powder. Add the walnuts to this dry mixture.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture all at once and mix on low speed until they are almost combined.
7. Stir in the shredded carrots.
8. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by lightly spraying them with cooking spray and placing a round parchment paper at the bottom of each pan.
9. Divide the carrot cake batter evenly between the two pans.
10. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
11. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool. Once the pans are no longer hot, remove the cake and allow them to continue cooling on the wire rack for about 2 hours or until thoroughly cooled*.
12. In a separate bowl, beat the butter for 5 minutes until it becomes light and fluffy. Stir in the cream cheese and vanilla extract. Sift in the powdered sugar and add a splash of heavy cream (about 1 tablespoon), then stir until the frosting is well combined.
13. Use a piece of sewing thread (or floss) to cut each cake in half, leaving you with 4 layers in total.
14. Place the first cake layer on a cake plate, frost the top of it, stack another layer on top, and repeat until all four layers are stacked. Frost the entire cake.
15. Optionally, decorate the outside of the cake with chopped walnuts.

NOTES:

• To create a round piece of parchment paper for the cake pans, simply place the cake pan on a piece of parchment paper, trace around it, and cut it out.
• It’s crucial to ensure that the carrot cake is entirely cool (not warm at all) before adding the cream cheese frosting; otherwise, the frosting will melt.

 

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