Naked Carrot Cake
This naked carrot cake is super moist, perfectly spiced, and filled with freshly grated carrots. It is frosted on the outside with a thin crumb coat of cream cheese frosting and decorated on top with even more frosting and chopped walnuts.
Equipment
- Three 6-Inch Cake Pans
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric Stand Mixer
- Whisk
Ingredients:
Carrot Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup oil (vegetable or canola)
- ½ cup yogurt (plain or vanilla), room temperature
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated carrots
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 ounces brick-style cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- chopped walnuts for decorations
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper then nonstick spray. Set aside.
Carrot Cake
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, sugar, oil, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined. Pour in the dry ingredients and whisk until everything is incorporated. Then fold in the freshly grated carrots using a silicone spatula.
- Divide the batter amongst the three prepared cake pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes come out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachent, cream together the butter and cream cheese on med-high speed until light and creamy (2-3 minutes). Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until combined. Then beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes until creamy.
Assemble
- If needed, use a serrated knife to level off the tops of each cake layer to create a flat surface. Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate and spread about ⅔ cup of frosting. Repeat with the second layer. Top the cake with the last layer and spread on about ¼ cup of frosting.
- Frost and smooth the outside of the cake with a thin crumb coat.
- Decorate the top of the cake with the rest of the cream cheese frosting (I used a Wilton 6B piping tip) and crushed walnuts.
- Keep any leftover cake slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes:
Cake Pans: This recipe calls for three 6-inch cake pans. Line each pan with parchment paper and non-stick spray.
Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
Cream Cheese Frosting: Make sure that the cream cheese and butter are at room temperature before creaming together. This helps to ensure a smooth frosting.
Dividing the Batter: To make sure I evenly divide up the batter amongst the cake pans I use a ½ measuring cup to scoop the batter into each pan. I count as I go and then switch to a tablespoon as I get less and less batter.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 550kcalCarbohydrates: 77gProtein: 6gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 347mgPotassium: 154mgFiber: 1gSugar: 59gVitamin A: 3157IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 123mgIron: 1mg
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