Carrot Cake

This Easter Carrot Cake is everything you dream of — rich, moist, and wonderfully fragrant with cinnamon and toasted pecans. With its decadently tangy cream cheese frosting, it’s a dessert that makes every bite feel like a celebration. The blend of warm spices and freshly grated carrots paired with the perfectly balanced frosting will have everyone coming back for more. Best served chilled, though we can’t promise there’ll be any leftovers.

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• Butter, for greasing the pans

• 2 cups pecans (8 ounces), divided

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• ½ cup buttermilk

• 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 4 large eggs

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 pound carrots, peeled and coarsely shredded

For the Frosting:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

• 2 cups powdered sugar

Method:

Make the Cake:

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 325°F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans with butter, then line the bottoms with parchment paper. Grease the parchment and lightly flour the pans.

2. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast them for about 8 minutes until they release their warm, nutty aroma. Once toasted, let them cool and finely chop half of them for the cake.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt — this will be your dry mix. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract — your wet ingredients.

4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on high for about 5 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add in the wet ingredients and continue beating until well combined.

5. Gradually add the dry mix into the wet mixture, beating just until combined. Be gentle with the batter; we want it to stay light. Stir in the shredded carrots and half of the chopped toasted pecans, giving it all a final gentle mix.

6. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until the cakes are springy to the touch and golden brown. Allow them to cool in the pans for 30 minutes on a rack, then unmold and let cool completely.

Make the Frosting:

1. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, then sift in the powdered sugar and beat on low to incorporate. Once combined, increase the speed to high and beat for another 3 minutes until the frosting is creamy and airy.

Assemble the Cake:

1. Peel the parchment paper from the cakes and place one cake layer upside down onto a serving plate. Spread a generous layer of frosting over the top of the cake. Top with the second cake layer, keeping it right side up.

2. Spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the remaining chopped pecans over the top for a lovely finish.

3. Refrigerate the cake for about an hour to chill the frosting and allow the flavors to settle. Then, slice and serve. The cake is best enjoyed chilled, though it won’t last long!

Tips & Notes:

• Cream Cheese Frosting Perfection: This frosting strikes the perfect balance — creamy, tangy, and just sweet enough. The combination of one part butter to two parts cream cheese ensures that it’s rich without being overwhelming.

• Storage: Since the cake has cream cheese frosting, it needs to be refrigerated. Happily, it holds up beautifully in the fridge and remains moist and delicious even when chilled.

• Make-Ahead: You can toast and chop the pecans, and prepare the cake layers a day ahead. Just keep them tightly wrapped, and frost them when you're ready to serve.

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