Gigi's Carrot Cake

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002

Show: Emeril LiveEpisode: Desserts to Die For

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (276)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(276)

Cook Time:
35 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
1 cake, 8 to 10 servings

Times:

Prep: 35 min
Inactive Prep: 10 min
Cook: 35 min
Total:: 1 hr 20 min

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Ingredients

3 sticks, plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Pecan Cream Cheese Icing:

8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 3 (9-inch) cake pans with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar, and beat. In a medium bowl or on a piece of parchment, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the eggs, beating well after the addition of each. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the carrots and beat on medium speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Fold in the nuts. Divide between the 3 cake pans and bake until set and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest in the cake pans for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, remove from the pans, and let cool.

For the Frosting: In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add the vanilla and pecans.

When the cake is cool, place 1 cake layer on a cake plate or stand. Spread the top with cream cheese frosting and top with a second and third cake layer, spreading the icing between each layer. Spread the icing around the sides of the cake and let harden slightly before serving. To serve, cut into wedges.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Gigi's Carrot Cake
Nadia Montreal, QC 11-03-2009
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Simply Delicious
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I'm new at baking, this recipe was easy to make and tasted wonderful! Best carrot cake I've ever had!
recipe Gigi's Carrot Cake
Michelle Slidell, LA 10-17-2009
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The Best Carrot Cake
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I tried this recipe for my boss's birthday! We served it at our faculty meeting! Wow! It was amazing! Foolproof to bake... and amazing to eat!Read more
recipe Gigi's Carrot Cake
Leila gainesville, FL 10-15-2009
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If a beginning can do it, so can you!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This was the first cake I'd ever made, no lie. I've made cupcakes before but from the box and nothing ever from scratch,... thats for sure. I followed the recipe to the T and everything tasted wonderful! I am a person that does not even like carrot cake and made this for my boyfriend's birthday. I made an extra cake to make sure it tasted good and actually ended up finishing that extra cake the next week! I did not make the icing as my fall back in case the cake turned out bad, but thank goodness it was fantastic, haha. I definitely recommend this recipe for everyone: it was very easy to follow (hardest part was chopping the carrots) and results were great. I am now a big fan of carrot cake, or at least this one =)Read more
recipe Gigi's Carrot Cake
Lauren Dallas, TX 10-14-2009
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Question
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Can anybody tell me how many cupcakes this recipe makes and how they turned out? Thank you!! AMAZING recipe by the way!
recipe Gigi's Carrot Cake
Alex long beach, CA 10-02-2009
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awesome
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

it was just awesome.
recipe Gigi's Carrot Cake
Julie Provo, UT 09-28-2009
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favorite carrot cake!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

LOVE this recipe, you def can't go wrong with this one! I made cupcakes instead of one big cake and they turned out great!... everybody loved them!Read more