The weekend is coming and I’m thinking about layer cakes. Weekends are the best only chance I have in life to bake and with my self issued 12 cakes in 2012 challenge, layer cakes are never too far from my mind when a day off hits. With two cakes under my belt, I’m really starting to enjoy the entire process of creating a layer cake. There’s something so simple about the prepation. Really it’s the same ingredients you’d reach for when making any baked good. The presentation, however, is decadent. Who really makes a layer cake just because? I do.
Apparently “just because” can also mean “because the SuperBowl is Sunday and I’ll have two more people to help my devour a cake.” That was the case with this carrot layer cake. There’s nothing particularly SuperBowl-y about it. I just figured it was a good idea to make my cake early in the month to ensure I complete my challenge.
The fact that it’s January 24th and I’m just now telling you about it doesn’t even surprise me one bit. I constantly feel like my life is on fast forward… except when I’m baking… or on a boring day at the 9-to5.
So this weekend, if you have nothing super important to do for a few hours, make this cake. Just because.
Or if you live in St. Louis come help us move our photography studio. Just kidding. (Not really.)
P.S – Next cake I promise to take a picture after I’ve sliced a piece instead of eating most of the cake and thinking “Oh, I never finished shooting that.”
Carrot Cake
From All You
Cake:
5 -6 small carrots (enough for 3 cups of shredded carrots)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
¼ tsp ground cloves
1½ cups sugar
¾ cup canola oil
½ cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
5 Tbsp unsalted butter
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat bottoms of 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray.
Grate carrots to get 3 cups and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice and cloves. In medium bowl, whisk sugar, oil, buttermilk and eggs. Pour oil mixture into flour mixture and stir just until evenly moistened. Fold in carrots. Scrape batter into cake pans; smooth tops. Bake until cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center of a cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
While the cakes bake, remove the cream cheese and butter from the fridge. Let both stand until they reach room temperature.
Cool the cakes in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert cakes onto rack to cool completely.
For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter in a bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth. Add brown sugar and vanilla and beat until sugar is completely dissolved. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt and beat on low speed until smooth and spreadable.
To assemble, level each cake using a long serrated knife. Place one cake layer on a serving plate, spoon about 1 cup frosting into center, and spread with a knife or offset spatula. Place second layer on top and spread remaining frosting over top and sides.
2 comments