Is it obvious that 14 Carrot Cake doesn’t really use 14 carrots in the recipe? If you have never baked a carrot cake before, maybe you think that a whole bushel goes into the batter. Thankfully it is only 4-5 carrots. Nonetheless this recipe is solid gold!
Lots of Carrots! (But not 14…)
What is surprising is that this recipe only calls for 2 cups of flour. A pound cake can require over 3 cups of flour and a loaf of bread usually calls for 4 cups of flour. But the carrots added to 14 Carrot Cake actually make up some of the starch that the cake needs for body. You really are eating your vegetables, albeit in cake form and covered in frosting!
Classic Cream Cheese Frosting
Speaking of frosting, I have also attached the classic Cream Cheese Frosting that goes with 14 Carrot Cake. It’s easy to make and can go on any number of cakes. However, it’s classic partner is carrot cake.
As you can see in the photo, I made a double batch of 14 Carrot Cake for a mammoth Christmas celebration cake. Instead of 3 layers with a single recipe, I made six layers with a double recipe. I also made a double batch of Cream Cheese Frosting which was just enough to cover all layers, top, bottom, sides and in between.
I love this cake recipe and I will test it again in different shapes, like single layer cakes and Bundt cakes. But an insanely large cake for Christmas is what happened in the kitchen today, so I thought I would share.
Use Cookies for Holiday Decorating
A friend of mine shared some of her amazing cookies from her bakery, and I used those to decorate my 14 Carrot Cake for Christmas. Lily’s Cookies in San Antonio has the best cookies in Texas. I recommend you stop by and visit them anytime during the year. Everything they make is incredible!
Print14 Carrot Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
Ingredients
Cake:
2 cups cake flour (250g)
2 tsp. baking powder (8g)
1 ½ tsp baking soda (9g)
1 tsp. salt (4g)
2 tsp. cinnamon (4g)
1 ½ cups sugar (300g)
1 ½ cups vegetable oil (350ml)
4 eggs
2 cups grated carrots (100g)
8 ½ oz can crushed pineapple, drained (227g)
½ cups chopped pecans (57g)
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick butter, softened (4oz/115 grams)
8 oz. pk cream cheese, softened (250g)
1 tsp. vanilla (5ml)
1 lb. powdered sugar, sifted (500g)
Instructions
Butter and flour three 9” dia. (23cm) pans. Heat your oven to 350°F (176°C). You may choose to line your cake pans with 9” rounds (23cm) of parchment for easier release
Sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to the bowl of an electric mixer and then stir in sugar, vegetable oil and eggs over low speed. Combine well, about 1 minute.
Add the shredded carrots, pineapple and pecans and stir on slow speed for another minute. Pour the batter into the three prepared cake pans. Using a digital scale, weigh the pans to confirm the batter is evenly divided so that your cake layers will be equal.
Place the filled pans in the heated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. Test with a toothpick before removing from the oven. Allow to cool on wire racks for 5 minutes and then remove the cake layers from the pans. Allow the cake layers to cool completely on the wire racks.
To make the Cream Cheese Frosting, combine the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix well over low speed. Add the vanilla. Slowly add the powdered sugar 1 spoonful at a time and incorporate into cream cheese mixture.
Once the cake layers are completely cooled, frost with the Cream Cheese Frosting.
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