Carrot Cake

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005

Show: Good EatsEpisode: Carrots: A Taproot Orange

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (187)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(187)

Cook Time:
1 hr 10 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
1 (9-inch) cake

Times:

Prep: 40 min
Inactive Prep: 1 hr 0 min
Cook: 1 hr 10 min
Total:: 2 hr 50 min

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Ingredients

Unsalted butter, for the pan
12 ounces, approximately 2 1/2 cups, all-purpose flour, plus extra for pan
12 ounces grated carrots, medium grate, approximately 6 medium
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/3 cups
2 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup firmly packed
3 large eggs
6 ounces plain yogurt
6 ounces vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 9-inch round and 3-inch deep cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

Put the carrots into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 5 seconds. Add this mixture to the carrots and toss until they are well-coated with the flour.

In the bowl of the food processor combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt.

With the processor still running drizzle in the vegetable oil. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cake reaches 205 to 210 degrees F in the center.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and allow cake to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese

2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

9 ounces powdered sugar, sifted, approximately 2 cups

In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on medium just until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition.

Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.

Yield: approximately 2 cups

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Carrot Cake
Kanella Centennial, CO 11-08-2009
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This was so yummy!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this for my boyfriends birthday and he loved it! I will definitly make this again. It was very moist and not to... sweet. Thanks Alton!Read more
recipe Carrot Cake
Murray Indian Wells , CA 10-29-2009
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Great Recipe
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

My friends are asking me to make this cake for them. It's a very good recipe. To answer Aaron's question from Colorado in... cooking in higher altitudes you have to cook the cake longer. That is why your cake fell inwards. I'd try adding another 15 to 30 minutes onto the recommended cook time. Another trick is to have a thin bamboo screwer and stick it in the center of the cake and if it comes out dry the cake should be done.Read more
recipe Carrot Cake
null null, null 10-25-2009
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Best Carrot Cake Ever!
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

This was my first time making a carrot cake, and I have to say it is better than any carrot cake I have ever ordered from a... restaurant. I followed the recipe to a tee, even weighing the dry ingredients, which I think makes a huge difference since the cup measurements in the recipe don't really coincide with the ounce measurements. I coated the carrots with flower, but I did not find that they turned gummy like other reviewers have said. I did, however, add more of the spices than was indicated in the recipe, and I cut the cake in half and frosted the middle with the frosting that the recipe calls for. Overall moist, delicious cake!Read more
recipe Carrot Cake
Sabine Batavia, OH 10-23-2009
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Not for Beginners
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

This cake tasted great, but only because I am an experienced baker. Because of other reviewer comments, I doubled the... spices, which this cake needed. ( I can't understand why anyone would give this recipe 5 stars if the spices were bland. ) The ingredients were hard to understand. Six ounces of grated carrot? I'm not used to weighing ingredients, so I just had to guess. The instructions are to toss the carrot with flour, which resulted in a gooey mess. I actually had to mix with my hands to separate the globs of dough this produced. This seems as if it would make for a tough texture. The unbaked cake seemed like just grated spiced carrots, held together by a little batter. Surprisingly, it was tender and delicious, but I take credit for tweaking it A LOT.Read more
recipe Carrot Cake
Caroline Dana Point, CA 10-22-2009
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The BEST Carrot Cake Ever!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is honestly the tastiest, most moist and delicious carrot cake ever. I make it for my husband's birthday every... year.....or just when we want some cake! Here is what I do a little differently: ~I am fairly liberal with the spices and probably add more than 1/4 tsp of each. ~I bake in two 8" round cake pans for a doube layer cake! ~Make a double batch of frosting for a double layer cake - you'll have about one cup left over for snacking. Yum! ~I decorate mine with whole or chopped walnuts - fun! Thanks AB!!! Read more
recipe Carrot Cake
Lani Carson, CA 10-18-2009
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Response to Paul...
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

After reading the problems with the proportions that Paul had I am assuming that he measured the flour and sugar stated in... "ounces" in a measuring cup. The ounces is referring to weight by using a kitchen scale. If you measure 10 ounces of flour (by weight) on a scale it should be "approximately" by 2 1/2 cups flour (by volume) in a measuring cup. If you are not using a scale, just use the proportions stated in cups so that there is no confusion. Unfortunately, the recipe was not clear on the difference between weight versus volume. Try it again...good luck!Read more