Merril Lagasse Carrot Cake Recipes

Steps:

• 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.

Steps:

• 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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease 3 round (9 inch) cake pans with 2 teaspoons.
• of the butter.
• In the bowl of an elctric mixer, fitted with a paddle, combine the 1/2 cup of the butter, oil, sugar and brown sugar.
• Cream the mixture until smooth.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a small mixing bowl.
• Add the eggs to the butter/sugar mixture, 1/2 cup at a time.
• Add the carrots, ground walnuts and vanilla.
• Mix well.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans and spread evenly.
• Place in the oven and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the center springs back when touched.
• Remove from the oven and cool.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and remaining 1/2 cup butter.
• Mix well.
• Add the walnut pieces and coconut.
• Mix well.
• Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time and mix until the frosting is spreadable.
• To assemble, slice each cake in half.
• Place on half in the center of a serving plate.
• Brush the top of the cake with the syrup.
• Spread 1/2 cup of the frosting over the first layer.
• Repeat the above process until all of the layers are used.
• Ice the entire cake with the remaining frosting.
• Refrigerate the cake for 30 mninutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt; set aside.
• Pour mandarin oranges with juice into blender or food processor and pulse a couple times just until oranges are roughly chopped; add enough freshly-squeezed orange juice to make 1 1/4 cups chopped mandarin orange-juice blend; set aside.
• In mixing bowl, beat eggs and add sugars; stir in oil, the mandarin orange-juice blend, liqueur, and orange zest; then stir in carrots, coconut, and optional nuts; add dry ingredients and stir well to combine.
• Pour batter into a 9x13" baking pan that has been greased and floured or just coated with no-stick cooking spray; a half-batch may be baked in either an 8x8" or 9x9" baking pan.
• Bake at 350°F for about 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of cake comes out clean; a 9x9" cake will be done in 35 to 40 minutes; cool cake completely before frosting.
• For frosting: Beat together butter and cream cheese; stir in liqueur; gradually add powdered sugar, stirring well after each addition and gradually adding the freshly-squeezed orange juice; adjust powdered sugar and orange juice amounts as needed for proper spreading consistency.
• Because of the cream cheese it's best to keep this cake refrigerated after frosting, but for maximum flavor you may want to bring the cake back to room temperature after refrigeration. The frosted cake freezes well.
• *Note: The simple to make recipe halves very easily. Applesauce may be substituted for half of the canola oil and reduced-fat cream cheese may be used.
• **Note: The Recipezaar Kitchen Dictionary provides the following substitution: 2 tbsp unsweetened orange juice concentrate or orange juice + 1/2 tsp orange extract = 2 tbsp Grand Marnier.