This is my favourite carrot cake recipe. It belongs to my dear friend Janet, who has given me permission to blog it. I decided to decorate it with toasted shredded coconut. Yum!
For the Cake:
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups of loosely packed finely grated carrots
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup of toasted shredded unsweetened coconut to decorate (optional)
Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups powdered icing sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
METHOD:Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease an angel food baking pan.
Sift dry ingredients in a bowl and keep aside until ready to use.
Combine and beat sugar and oil. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in dry ingredients and beat until it is just blended. Fold in carrots. Pour into the prepared angel food pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes.
Let cake cool completely before icing.
Frosting:Use an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachments to whip frosting ingredients until frosting is light and fluffy.
It is easier to frost cake with an offset spatula rather than a flat spatula.
To decorate simply sprinkle toasted coconut over the top of cake.
TIPS:
1. When baking, it is important to measure ingredients properly and accurately. Always use correct measuring cups and spoons. Use dry measuring utensils for powders and semi-solids (flour, sugar, grated carrots). Use liquid measuring cups for wet (oil).
2. When measuring flour, spoon flour into measuring cup rather than pouring. Level off with a knife or flat edge. Do not shake or tap cup before leveling off. Do not use measuring cup to scoop the flour directly out of flour container. Even just a bit extra flour will make the cake dense.
3. If you notice the cake starting to over-brown before it is cooked through, cover loosely with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
4. Cooking times are dependent on the size of the pan that you use. The bigger the pan, the less cooking time. This is because the depth of the batter will be more shallow.
