Mamas Best Carrot Cake Food

THE BEST CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds and lightly coat the paper with spray.
• Cover the raisins with very hot water and let sit until plump, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
• Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, and then chop 1 cup of the pecans; reserve for the cake batter. Pulse the remaining 1/2 cup pecans in a food processor until very finely ground; reserve for garnish.
• Combine the carrots and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Beat the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until pale and thick, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually stream in the oil. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the carrot mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. Fold in the raisins and chopped pecans with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
• Bake the cakes, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cakes cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cakes and invert onto the rack. Remove the parchment and let the cakes cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and gradually mix in the confectioner' sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until the frosting until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• To assemble the cake: When the cakes are completely cool, trim the domes of each cake round with a large serrated knife so the tops are flat. Place one cake, cut-side down, on a platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the frosting evenly over top. Place the remaining cake, cut-side down, on top. Spread the top with another 1 1/2 cups of the frosting. Frost the sides of the cake with another 1 1/2 cups frosting and smooth out completely to make an even crumb coat (It's ok if some of the cake shows through. This is just a base layer.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the frosting set.
• Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake, swirling decoratively if desired. Sprinkle with the finely ground pecans.

MAMA'S BEST CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube cake pan.
• Whisk the corn oil and sugar together in a large bowl. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (I do this by putting all these ingredients into a fine mesh strainer and shaking and stirring the mixture into another mixing bowl).
• Add half the dry ingredients into the sugar-oil mixture and mix together. Add one egg, then more of the flour mixture, then another egg and so on until you have mixed together all the eggs and flour with the sugar mixture.
• Stir in the carrots, pecans, and raisins, pour into the prepared tube pan and bake for 70 minutes. Cool upright in the pan on a cooling rack.
• When the cake is cooled, make the frosting: Using a mixer, beat the soft butter until it is creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat until blended. Add the sugar and the vanilla and mix well. (If it feels a little too soft to spread, pop it into the refrigerator until it firms up a bit).
• Remove the cake from the tube pan, put on your prettiest plate and frost. If you want to be just like my mama, garnish with shaved carrot curls and little edible flowers!

MAMA'S CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• CAKE:.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease two 6-inch round pans and line with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, mix together flour, the cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk together.
• In a separate large bowl, beat the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and eggs together with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until just combined.
• With the mixer running, gradually pour in the vegetable oil.
• With the mixer on medium-low speed, add ⅓ of the flour mixture at a time to the wet ingredients. Beat just to incorporate. Stop mixing when there is just a small amount of flour visible.
• Add grated carrots and pineapple to the batter and fold to incorporate with a rubber spatula.
• Divide the cake batter evenly in the prepared pans and smooth the top.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean. Cook longer if toothpick does not come out clean - it's done with toothpick comes out clean.
• 9. Cool the cake on a wire rack until the pans are cool to the touch. Remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely on the rack.
• ICING:.
• In a large bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla with an electric.
• hand mixer on medium-low speed. Once combined, mix on medium-high speed for 30 seconds, until light and fluffy.
• Add the powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, beating on medium-low speed to incorporate each addition.
• NOTE: You can separate out some of the icing and color them with orange and green to decorate with carrots.
• Ice cake once cake is cool.
• Gently press the walnuts into the icing around the side of the cake.
• Chill for 30-60 minutes to let the icing set, then slice and serve.

MAMA DIP'S CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Cake:
• Sift together first 3 ingredients. Set aside. Line 3 lightly greased 9" round ake pans with parchment or waxed paper; lightly grease the paper.
• Beat sugar and oil at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until blended and stopping to scrape down sides. Fold in carrots and 1 cup of nuts. Spoon batter evenly into prepared pans.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
• Spread cream cheese frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Arrange remaining ½ cup of nuts around outer edge of cake. Cut with a serrated knife.
• Cream Cheese Frosting:
• Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed of mixer until fluffy; gradually add in powdered sugar, beating well. Stir in vanilla.