Chocolate Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Frosting Food

CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Line two 9-in. round baking pans with waxed paper; grease the paper and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the carrots, sugar, oil and eggs until well blended. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into carrot mixture until blended., Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, cocoa and vanilla until smooth. , Place bottom layer on a serving plate; top with half of the frosting. Repeat with remaining cake layer. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate chips.

CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Coat the parchment with cooking spray and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spice and salt into a medium bowl. Beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, applesauce and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the carrots with a rubber spatula.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans; bake until each cake pulls away slightly from the side of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes in the pans, then invert onto the rack to cool completely; remove the parchment.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Heat the heavy cream until almost simmering in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and butter and let sit, without stirring, 5 minutes; stir until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
• Place one cake layer on a platter. Spread the top with 1 cup frosting; refrigerate until the frosting is set, about 10 minutes. Top with the second cake layer and spread a thin layer of frosting on the top and side; refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes. Cover the cake with the remaining frosting.
• Make the web topping: Beat the marshmallows and food coloring in a large bowl with a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on low speed until the marshmallows break up, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until glossy and smooth. Using two forks, pull out about 1 tablespoon of marshmallow at a time, stretch into thin strands and drape over the top of the cake to create a web. Photograph by Kate Mathis

CARROT SNACKING CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread the nuts in an even layer on a baking sheet. Cook until toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Give them a shake halfway through so they don't burn.
• Meanwhile, prepare your baking pan. A square 8-inch cake pan or a 9-inch round cake pan both work great. You can spray the pan with nonstick baking spray with flour or line the bottom with parchment paper and then grease the pan and the paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and oil together until combined. Add the milk, sugar, vanilla and salt and whisk until combined. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon into the bowl and stir or fold until combined. Add the carrots, raisins and toasted nuts if using and stir or fold until combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until your house smells like carrot cake and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool on the rack completely.
• While the cake is baking, make the frosting: Add the softened cream cheese to a large bowl and whisk it until it is smooth (if the cream cheese isn't softened, zap it in the microwave for 5 or 10 seconds).
• Add the confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla, if using, and salt and whisk until smooth. If the frosting is a little too thick, add a tiny bit more milk. If it's too thin, you can add more confectioners' sugar.
• Once your cake has cooled (if it's warm it will melt the frosting), spread the frosting evenly over the cake. Tada! Enjoy!

OLD-FASHIONED CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and oil. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; beat into egg mixture. Stir in carrots., Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in another large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Add enough milk to achieve desired spreading consistency. Reserve 1/2 cup frosting for decorating if desired. If desired, stir walnuts into remaining frosting. , Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. If decorating the cake, tint 1/4 cup reserved frosting orange and 1/4 cup green. Cut a small hole in the corner of pastry or plastic bag; insert #7 round pastry tip. Fill the bag with orange frosting. Pipe twelve carrots on top of cake, so each slice will have a carrot. Using #67 leaf pastry tip and the green frosting, pipe a leaf at the top of each carrot. , Store cake in the refrigerator.

CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment and lightly coat with cooking spray.
• Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until light brown and fragrant, 7 minutes. Set aside 12 pecan halves to decorate the finished cake; chop the remaining pecans. Set aside 1 cup of the chopped pecans to use in the batter; reserve the rest for decorating the finished cake.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
• Whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar in a large bowl until smooth, about 1 minute. Whisk in the oil until well combined. Add the grated carrots, vanilla and 1 cup chopped pecans, and mix well. Add the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cakes are nicely browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges with a spatula, turn the cakes out and let cool completely, right-side up, on the cooling rack, about 2 hours. Remove the parchment before frosting.
• For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, scraping down the side as necessary, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt; gradually increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until the sugar is incorporated and the frosting is fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on medium-high, add the cream a few drops at time until it's all incorporated. Continue beating for 1 more minute until the frosting is slightly lighter in color and creamy.
• To assemble: Place one of the cake layers on a serving plate, and spread 1 cup of the frosting over the top. Top with the other layer, and use the remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake. Arrange the 12 whole pecans on top of the cake like the numbers on a clock face, and sprinkle the remaining chopped pecans in between.

CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Coat three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper; coat the parchment with more cooking spray. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, then roughly chop 1 1/2 cups walnuts and finely chop 1 1/2 cups. Set aside the finely chopped nuts for topping.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the vegetable oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just combined. With the mixer on medium-low speed, beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk, until combined. Stir in the vanilla. Gently fold in the carrots, raisins and roughly chopped walnuts with a rubber spatula.
• Divide the batter among the cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 20 minutes in the pans. Remove the cakes from the pans, remove the parchment and let cool completely on the racks.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Beat the butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
• Place one cake layer on a platter or cake stand and spread 1 cup frosting on top. Add another cake layer, spread with another 1 cup frosting and then add the last cake layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with a very thin layer of frosting (this is the crumb coat). Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting, then carefully press the finely chopped walnuts into the sides.

LIGHT CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE ICING

Steps:

• CAKE: In a bowl, combine flours, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and spices; stir in walnuts, raisins and coconut.
• In a large bowl, beat together the egg substitute and sugars; add pudding mix and sour cream; stir in carrots.
• Add flour mixture all at once, mixing just until evenly combined.
• Spray a 13 x 9-inch cake pan with non-fat cooking spray, and line with parchment paper or waxed paper; then spray the paper with non-fat cooking spray.
• Pour the batter into the pan and bake in a 325 degree F oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched and cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
• Let cool.
• TO MAKE ICING: Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat cream cheese and neufchatel cheese until light; gradually beat in the cocoa powder and sugar.
• Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes or until spreadable.
• Spread over the cooled cake.

CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE ICING

Steps:

• CAKE: In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and allspice; stir in walnuts, raisins and coconut.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs; gradually blend in the brown and granulated sugars.
• Add oil; beat in chocolate.
• Stir in carrots.
• Add flour mixture all at once, mixing just until evenly combined.
• Line a greased 13 x 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper or waxed paper.
• Grease the paper.
• Pour the batter into the pan and bake in a 325 degree F oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched and cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
• Let cool.
• TO MAKE ICING: Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat cream cheese until light; beat in chocolate.
• Gradually beat in the sugar; cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes or until spreadable.
• Spread over the cooled cake.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Beat the softened butter to a soft and even consistency. Add the orange juice, if using, then the icing sugar. Cream until you have a smooth, soft buttercream consistency.
• Add the cream cheese and work it in - don't beat it in, just slowly mix with a wooden spoon. Depending on how soft the mixture is, you may want to put it in the fridge for 10 mins at this point. If it's runny, it will firm up again. It should be spreadable and not run off the cake.

CARROT CAKE WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• FOR THE CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F & line the bottom of three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper, leaving the sides of the pan dry.
• In a large mixing bowl & with a hand mixer, beat together eggs & oil, mixing well. Add 1 cup of the sugar & continue mixing for 2 minutes, then add the remaining sugar & mix for 3 to 4 minutes.
• In another container, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves & nutmeg, then add this to the egg mixture, beating on low speed until blended, about 1 minute.
• Add carrots, walnuts & pineapple, mixing until well combined.
• Divide batter among the prepared pans & bake 60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• On a wire rack cool to room temperature, then run a knife around the edge of the cakes & remove them from the pans, before wrapping in plastic wrap & refrigerating them overnight.
• FOR THE FROSTING: Place cream cheese in a mixing bowl & beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add melted chocolate a little at a time, continuing to beat at medium speed.
• Add butter a little at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl, then add the zest & beat until combined.
• Remove cakes from the refrigerator, then ice the top of one layer, place the 2nd layer on top of that & ice the top of that layer. Place the 3rd layer on top & ice the top & sides of the cake.
• Press chopped walnuts into the sides of the cake & ENJOY!

CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Carrot Cake:.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners (I like the foil liners!).
• Beat together the eggs, white sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl.
• Mix in the vegetable oil, apple sauce, and vanilla.
• Fold in carrots and pineapple.
• In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
• Mix flour mixture into the carrot mixture until evenly moist.
• Fold in 1/2 cup walnuts.
• Transfer to the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before topping with the icing and sprinkling with remaining walnuts.
• Frosting:.
• In small saucepan, melt white chocolate over low heat. Stir until smooth, and allow to cool to room temperature.
• In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in white chocolate, vanilla extract, and orange extract.
• Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until the mixture is fluffy.
• Mix in heavy cream.