Spiced Carrot Cake

By MarielC

Ingredients

• CAKE
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 stick (4oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups grated carrots (on the large holes of a box grater)
• 2/3 cup roasted, salted cashews, coarsely chopped
• FROSTING
• 2 sticks (8oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 8oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature

Details

Servings 1
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 50mins
Adapted from huffingtonpost.com

Preparation

Step 1

Directions

FOR THE CAKE:

Preheat the oven to 350°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper; butter and flour the parchment.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and allspice.

With a mixer, beat the melted butter and granulated sugar until well combined. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the flour mixture. Fold in the carrots and cashews.

Divide the batter between the pans, tapping them on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake for 30 minutes, switching the pans from top to bottom halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans; then invert the cakes onto a rack to cool completely.

FOR THE FROSTING:

With a mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light, fluffy, and smooth. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until well combined.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:

With a long serrated knife, cut each cake in half horizontally. Place four strips of wax paper on the plate, overlapping and covering the edges. Place one cake layer on the cake plate, cut side up, making sure the wax paper is underneath the cake (this will keep the plate clean as you frost the cake). Frost the bottom layer, top with another layer, cut side up, frost that, and continue until you’ve placed the last layer, cut side down, on top. Frost the top and sides.

VARIATION:

To make carrot cupcakes (2 dozen): Spoon the batter into 24 paper-lined standard muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Cool for 5 minutes in the pans; then transfer to a rack to cool completely. You can serve them as they are, dusted with confectioners’ sugar, or spread with the cream cheese frosting.