Carrot Cake Baked Until the Center Springs Back

Carrot Cake Baked Until the Center Springs Back keeps the shopping list focused on all purpose flour or pastry flour if you have it, baking soda, and baking powder. It serves 14 slices.

Count on 45 minutes of prep, 25 minutes of cooking, about 1 hour from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

Carrot Cake

• 2 cups all purpose flour or pastry flour if you have it
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3 eggs
• 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup shredded carrots packed
• ½ cup toasted walnuts chopped, optional

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 21 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 18 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

How the cooking goes

Prepare the ingredients

1. Heat the oven to 350˚F convection (with fan) or 375˚F conventional (no fan) and spray 2, 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom with a parchment circle. To make your own, trace the pan on a piece of baking paper, then cut out a circle.
2. Beat the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a mixing bowl and keep it to one side.
3. Add the lemon juice to the vegetable oil and keep it to one side.
4. Peel and grate the carrots on a medium-sized box grater. Squeeze the excess juice from your carrots using cheesecloth or paper towels; discard or drink it!

Make the cake

1. In a electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs and sugar together until they triple in volume and lighten to a pale yellow, also known as ribbon stage.
2. With the mixer running on high (still with the whisk attachment), slowly pour in the vegetable oil mixture then whisk until completely emulsified (i.e. you can’t see any oil). It will deflate a bit, but it will still look like a light yellow cloud.
3. Remove the bowl from the electric mixer and use a flexible spatula to fold through the dry ingredients all at once, just until streaky.
4. Before incorporating all the flour, fold through the walnuts and the grated carrots until the batter is just combined. Please don’t over-mix. If you think it’s done, it is.
5. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans. If you are feeling extra or just want to ensure they bake evenly, use a scale to divide the batter perfectly.
6. Oven-bake for 25 minutes or until you can gently press on the center and feel resistance. It shouldn’t feel like liquid under there! There is too much oil to use the cake tester. You know, the stress! But you’ve got this.
7. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool upside-down—yes, upside-down! Allow it to cool until it is no longer warm before frosting.

Make the frosting

1. In the bowl of a electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat together butter and cream cheese until the texture looks smooth. Add the confectioner’s sugar a cup at a time and beat until the texture looks smooth.
2. Put lemon juice and vanilla extract. Beat to incorporate.

Assemble the cake

1. Put about a ⅓ cup frosting on the first layer and spread until evenly covered. Layer on the second cake. Use as much of the remaining frosting as you want to cover the outside! Slice and serve.

After it comes off the heat

Let the pan settle before you slice, so the crumb stays together. Cover leftovers once they are cool.

If you want another plate from Cakes, open Chocolate Zucchini Cake with a Soft Crumb and Molasses Cake Baked Until the Center Springs Back.