It’s
been a very long time since I’ve attempted to make a carrot cake. Without the
cream cheese frosting it just doesn’t taste the same. I made one a little over
10 years ago and the cake was fine, but the frosting pretty much sucked. I made
cream cheese frosting about a year ago. It was close, but it still wasn’t quite
right. Lately, I’ve been craving a piece (or two) of carrot cake. So, what is a
girl to do? Well, make it herself! I did and I am very happy with the results.
This cake is light and rich at the same time. The frosting is about as close to
the real thing as I can remember. The key to the frosting is to use the Tofutti
Better Than Cream Cheese. The consistency and taste is the best that I have
found so far.
2
cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp
baking soda
2 tsp
baking powder
1 tsp
cream of tartar
½ tsp
salt
2 ½
tsp ground cinnamon
3
cups finely grated carrots
4
eggs
1 ¼
cup canola oil
1 cup
dark brown sugar
1 cup
granulated sugar
1
tbsp vanilla extract
· Preheat the oven to 350°F.
· Grease and flour 3 9-inch
round cake pans.
· Combine the first 6
ingredients (flour-cinnamon) in a medium bowl.
· Whisk to combine.
· Grate the carrots using the
fine grater blade of your food processor or the fine grate side of your hand
grater.
· In a large mixing bowl, beat
oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract.
· Mix the dry ingredients with
the wet.
· Stir in grated carrots.
· Evenly divide the cake batter
into the 3 cake pans.
· Bake for 25-30 minutes or
until a toothpick comes out clean.
· Cool for 10 minutes on a wire
rack.
· Remove from pans and cool
completely on wire racks.
· Frost and assemble cake.
“Cream
Cheese” Frosting
2 8oz
tubs of Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese
1 cup
of Fleischmanns Unsalted Margarine Sticks
1
tbsp vanilla extract
½ tsp
salt
4 tsp
lemon juice
1 2lb
bag confectioners sugar
· Bring the “cream cheese” and
margarine to room temperature.
· Beat the “cream cheese” and
margarine in a large mixing bowl.
· Mix in vanilla, salt, and
lemon juice.
· Mix in confectioners’ sugar a
little at a time.
Optional:
Toast 1 cup of chopped pecans and sprinkle on top of the cake or press onto the
sides of the cake immediately after frosting.
You
can also add 1 cup of toasted chopped pecans the cake batter. I chose not to do
that this time.
