Carrot Layer Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour two 9-in. round baking pans. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk eggs, orange juice and oil; add to dry ingredients. Beat until well blended. Stir in carrots, raisins and nuts (batter will be thick). , Pour into prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar, orange juice and zest; beat until smooth. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Make the cake: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Brush three 9-inch-round cake pans with vegetable oil and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then pulse in a food processor until very finely chopped.
• Combine the pecans, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and granulated sugar in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, lemon zest, eggs and 1/2 cup marmalade. Stir in the carrots, then fold the carrot mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Divide among the prepared pans and spread evenly (it won't look like a lot of batter, but the cakes will rise in the oven). Put 2 pans on the upper oven rack and the third pan on the lower rack. Bake until the cakes bounce back when touched and a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, switching the position of the pans halfway through. Transfer the pans to racks until cool enough to handle, then invert the cakes onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment.
• Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a bowl with a mixer until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt until smooth.
• Put 1 cake layer on a platter. Spread with 1 tablespoon marmalade, then spread about 3/4 cup frosting over the marmalade. Top with another cake layer, marmalade and frosting. Spread the final cake layer with a thin layer of frosting. (This is the crumb coat; it doesn't have to be perfect.) Refrigerate 1 hour, then cover with the remaining frosting. Swirl some marmalade into the top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Photograph by Con Poulos

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugar, flour and salt. Stir in cream; add butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted; bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in nuts and vanilla. Cool and set aside. , In a large bowl, beat oil and sugar until well blended. In another bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with eggs, beating well after each addition. Stir in carrots, raisins and nuts. , Pour into 3 greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, in a small bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar until smooth. Spread filling between layers. Frost sides and top of cake. Store in the refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, brown sugar, oil and orange zest. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and cloves; gradually add to egg mixture and mix well. Stir in carrots and cranberries. , Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, milk, ginger and orange zest if desired. , Cut each cake horizontally into two layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. If desired, top with sugared cranberries.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine grated carrots and brown sugar. Set aside for 60 minutes, then stir in raisins.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 10 inch cake pans.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs until light. Gradually beat in the white sugar, oil and vanilla. Stir in the pineapple. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, stir into the wet mixture until absorbed. Finally stir in the carrot mixture and the walnuts. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. When completely cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and eggs until thick and pale. Stir in the oil, then gradually mix in the sifted dry ingredients. Fold in the carrots and nuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. When cool, frost with your favorite Cream Cheese Frosting.

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Lightly grease waxed paper. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and vegetable oil in bowl until combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into sugar and oil mixture. Stir in carrots, chopped pecans and raisins.
• Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing equally. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans, about 45 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.)
• For frosting:
• Using electric mixer, beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth and creamy.
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Top with another cake layer. Spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Using icing spatula, spread remaining frosting in decorative swirls over sides and top of cake. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate.) Serve cake cold or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Put a piece of parchment or a Silpat on the counter. Invert the cake onto it and peel off the parchment or Silpat from the bottom of the cake. Use the cake ring to stamp out 2 circles from the cake. These are your top 2 cake layers. The remaining cake "scrap" will come together to make the bottom layer of the cake.
• Clean the cake ring and place it in the center of a sheet pan lined with clean parchment or a Silpat. Use 1 strip of acetate to line the inside of the cake ring.
• Put the cake scraps inside the ring and use the back of your hand to tamp the scraps together into a flat even layer.
• Dunk a pastry brush in the milk and give the layer of cake a good, healthy bath of half of the milk.
• Use the back of a spoon to spread half of the liquid cheesecake in an even layer over the cake.
• Sprinkle one-third of the milk crumbs evenly over the cheesecake. Use the back of your hand to anchor them in place.
• Use the back of a spoon to spread one-third of the graham frosting as evenly as possible over the crumbs.
• With your index finger, gently tuck the second strip of acetate between the cake ring and the top 1/4 inch of the first strip of acetate, so that you have a clear ring of acetate 5 to 6 inches tall-high enough to support the height of the finished cake. Set a cake round on top of the frosting, and repeat the process for layer 1 (if 1 of your 2 cake rounds is jankier than the other, use it here in the middle and save the prettier one for the top).
• Nestle the remaining cake round into the frosting. Cover the top of the cake with the remaining frosting. Give it volume and swirls, or do as we do and opt for a perfectly flat top. Garnish the frosting with the remaining milk crumbs.
• Transfer the sheet pan to the freezer and freeze for a minimum of 12 hours to set the cake and filling. The cake will keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
• At least 3 hours before you are ready to serve the cake, pull the sheet pan out of the freezer and, using your fingers and thumbs, pop the cake out of the cake ring. Gently peel off the acetate and transfer the cake to a platter or cake stand. Let it defrost in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours (wrapped well in plastic, it can be refrigerated for up to 5 days).
• Slice the cake into wedges and serve.

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of 3 greased 8-in. square baking pans with parchment; grease paper., In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk orange juice and sour cream. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugars and orange zest until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. If desired, beat in thyme. Add flour mixture alternately with orange juice mixture, beating well after each addition., With clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Gently fold in shredded carrots and pecans., Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, orange zest and juice until blended. Gradually beat in enough confectioners' sugar to reach desired consistency., Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate until serving.