Walnut Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
serves 9-12
This delicious cake can be made one day in advance, covered carefully and stored at room temperature.
Read more about this recipe at the Washington Post.
For the cake:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup canola or corn oil
3 large eggs
1 1/3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups finely chopped or grated carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
For the frosting:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup walnut halves, toasted
prep: 15 minutes
total: 1 hour 5 minutes, plus 1 1/2 hours to cool
9-inch square baking pan
stand mixer
sifter
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9-inch-square baking pan.
2. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into the bowl of a stand mixer. On low speed, add the oil, mixing well; the mixture will look crumbly. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing for about 30 seconds, until smooth. Remove the bowl from the mixer; add the carrots and walnuts, stirring by hand until well combined.
3. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes or until the top feels firm if gently touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for about 1 1/2 hours.
4. For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed, beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla extract until smoothly blended. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until well combined, then increase the speed to medium for 1 minute to lighten the mixture. Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled cake. Sprinkle the walnut halves over the frosting. Cut into squares to serve.
This recipe is from cookbook author Elinor Klivans.
