# Carrot Cake

## Ingredients

### Carrot Cake

- `312` g all-purpose flour
- `2` tsp baking powder
- `1` tsp baking soda
- `1/2` tsp salt
- `1.5` tsp ground cinnamon
- `1` tsp ground ginger
- `1/4` tsp ground nutmeg
- `1/4` tsp ground cloves
- `300` g dark brown sugar
- `100` g granulated sugar
- `215` g canola oil
- `4` large eggs, room temperature
- `260` g applesauce, unsweetened, room temperature
- `1` tsp pure vanilla extract
- `260` g carrots, finely shredded
- `228` g pecan halves

### Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

- `16` oz cream cheese, room temperature
- `1` stick unsalted butter, browned on the stove
- `568` g powdered sugar, unsifted
- `1` TBSP heavy cream or milk
- `1.5` tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt

## Instructions

- Preheat oven to 350F. Place pecans on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 7 minutes, then chop with a pastry cutter. set aside
- Shred whole carrots using a box grater or food processor using the smaller, finer holes. Make sure to shred at home because pre-shredded carrots are generally dried out, and we need the moisture of the freshly shredded carrots for the cake.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease `3` 9" round cake pans and line with parchment paper. I like to cut circles of parchment to fit snug at the bottom. Grease again over the parchment and on the sides.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, apple sauce, and vanilla.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined, avoiding overmixing. Fold in shredded carrots and half the pecans until evenly combined. Pour cake batter into the 3 baking pans, ensuring they weigh approximately the same.
- Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. If the toothpick comes out wet, continue baking until cooked thoroughly, but be careful of overbaking. When done, invert the cakes out of their pans onto a cooling rack. Peel off the parchment paper to allow steam to escape faster. Cool the cakes completely before frosting.
- Melt unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat until the butter gets a tint of brown, not too dark, about 10 minutes. It will smell nutty and delicious! Pour into a heat-safe bowl, and cover at room temp to solidify.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat together the solidified brown butter and cream cheese until smooth but not whipped. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and salt. Beat on low speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated, then increase speed to medium-high until creamy but not whipped, ~1-2 minutes. Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin, more milk if too thick, or another pinch of salt if too sweet. Frosting should be smooth but not runny.
- Using a long serrated knife, level off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Add a spoonful of frosting to the center of your cake stand or serving plate to keep the cake in place. Place the first layer on the stand and add an even layer of frosting on top. Spread to cover the entire top surface. Repeat with the second and third layer. Spread remaining frosting over the sides of the cake. Decorate the cake with the rest of the toasted pecans. Refrigerate cake for at least 15-20 minutes to set before cutting. Store in a fridge to enjoy for up to 5 days. Don't leave it out overnight since the frosting has cream cheese in it.

Servings: 12

Category: Desserts

Link: https://murmursofricotta.com/carrot-cake/

Tags: Nuts, Vegetarian