Classic Carrot Cake

Equipment

• 8-inch cake pans (3)
• toothpick

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Layers

• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil or sunflower oil
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts
• 1/2 cup drained crushed pineapple

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 16 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts toasted

Marzipan Carrot Decors

• 8 oz. prepared marzipan
• Orange gel food color
• 8 sprigs flat leaf parsley with long stems

Direction

Carrot Cake Layers

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease three 9” round cake pans
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the oil, sugar, salt, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix well to combine. Add the flour and mix until just combined.
3. Add in the grated carrot, nuts, and crushed pineapple. Mix until just blended.
4. Divide the batter between the three pans. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick tester inserted near their centers comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs attached. Allow the cakes to cool 7-10 minutes in the pans, and then turn out to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Cream together the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the powdered sugar in two additions. Beat until smooth.
2. Add vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again until combined. Cover frosting with a damp towel to keep it from drying out while you work.
3. Place a cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Top with a generous layer of frosting; stack another layer and frost. Top with the third cake layer. Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting to the outside of the cake. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. Cover the cake with the remaining frosting. Smooth top and sides using a cake smoother or bench scraper. Immediately press the chopped walnuts onto the bottom edge of the cake. Reserve any small amount of leftover frosting for attaching marzipan carrots to the top of the cake.

Marzipan Carrots

1. Place the marzipan in a bowl and add in 1/4 teaspoon of orange gel food color. Knead with gloved hands until the marzipan is consistently orange. If the color is not rich enough, knead in a little more color. The marzipan should not be sticky because of the naturally present almond oil in the dough, but if you find the mixture sticky, knead in a little powdered sugar.
2. Roll the orange marzipan into 8 equal walnut-sized balls (1 oz. each). Place a ball on a flat work surface, from the center of the ball, roll it under your palm until one side becomes cone-shaped/pointed. Roll into a carrot shape to 4” length. Use the back of a butter knife to make lines in the marzipan carrot (see video for method). Repeat with remaining marzipan balls.
3. Use a toothpick to make a small deep hole in the blunt end of each marzipan carrot. Insert a sprig of parsley into each hole for the carrot greens.
4. Use leftover frosting, to attach the carrots to the top of the cake. Place carrots around the top edge of the cake in a radiating fashion with the pointed ends of the carrots meeting in the center of the cake.