The Ultimate Makeover Carrot Cake Food

CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare three 8 inch cake pans* by lightly coating with cooking spray and lining with parchment paper on the bottom.
• Beat the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and pineapple together in a large bowl.
• In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated.
• Fold in the carrots, pecans and raisins just until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake on the center oven rack until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

MAKEOVER MOIST CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the sugars, applesauce, oil, eggs, egg whites and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. Stir in the carrots, pineapple, raisins and walnuts., Transfer to a 10-in. fluted tube pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheeses and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Frost cake. Sprinkle with walnuts. Store in the refrigerator.

ULTIMATE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare muffin tins with papers (about 48 regular cupcakes) or two 9-inch round cake pans (2 inch sides) with parchment and oil.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Coarsely grate the carrots in a food processor using the grater attachment.
• Chop them into finer pieces with the medal blade attachment in the food processor, if you want the texture of the cake a little bit finer.
• Mix together the eggs, sugar, oil, brown sugar, vanilla extract and orange zest.
• Mix together all of the dry ingredients in a bowl with a whisk.
• Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture.
• Add the finely chopped carrots, walnuts (or coconut), and raisins (or dried cherries).
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans or scoop into cupcake papers (fill 3/4 full).
• Bake cupcakes for about 18-25 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
• Bake 9-inch cakes for about 35-40 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
• Cool in pan(s) on wire rack for 10-15 minutes.
• Make frosting by combining all frosting ingredients and beating well, until fluffy.
• NOTE: If you like lots of frosting, double this recipe, but you'll have some left over, even if you are generous with it while frosting the cake. But it's delicious on EVERYTHING!
• To assemble the cake, remove from pan(s) and peel off the parchment paper from the bottom, place on cardboard rounds.
• With a thin serrated knife slice off the very top of the cake layer, using a sawing motion, to level the tops, if desired.
• Cut the cake layers into 2 equal layers. Slide the layers onto a cardboard round or any other flat surface.
• Using an offset spatula spread about 1½ cups of the frosting evenly over the surface of the first layer.
• Top with the next layer and repeat for the rest of the layers.
• Place about 2 cups of the icing on the top of the cake and spread evenly.
• Spread the icing onto the sides of the cake.
• Using the spatula, create swirls in the frosting on the cake. This cream cheese frosting is very soft so you won't want to try for anything too exacting.
• Press additional shredded coconut onto the sides of this cake, as a garnish, if desired.

THE ULTIMATE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Sift together the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger onto a sheet of waxed paper.
• Mix the sugars together in a large bowl.
• Stir in the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
• Stir in the flour mixture, grated carrots, chopped pecans, coconut and raisins.
• Stir until well blended.
• Grease and flour three 9 inch round cake pans.
• Line each prepared pan with wax or parchment paper that has also been greased and waxed.
• Pour equal amounts into each of the cake pans.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of each comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Turn out onto cooling racks, remove wax paper and allow to cool completely.
• In a large bowl beat the butter and cream cheese together until light.
• Add the confectioners sugar, orange peel and vanilla mixing until smooth.
• Spread frosting between layers and stack evenly.
• Frost the top and sides of cake.
• Decorate with perfect pecan halves.

THE ULTIMATE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Beat brown and white sugars, oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until well combined. Mix in flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in carrots and pineapple, then fold in pecans. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• While the cake is cooling, combine powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract for frosting in a medium bowl. Beat until mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans.
• Spread frosting over the cooled cake.