Ingredients :
CAKE
2-1/2 cups flour, fluffed to aerate before measuring (see KITCHEN TIPS)
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/14 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 pound carrots, peeled and trimmed
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil (or canola or safflower)
Directions :
Preheat oven to 350F. For 9×13, spray pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment, then spray the parchment. (This seems to be able to lift the entire cake out of the pan. To just cut pieces right in the pan, I think you could safely skip this step.) For cupcakes, grease muffin tins well. (I used vegetable oil and the cupcakes were quite sticky. Next time I’ll use Baker’s Joy or use cupcake papers.)
Measure the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
With a food processor (see KITCHEN TIPS), grate the carrots, transfer to another dish. Add the sugars and eggs to the food processor and process for 20 seconds. With the food processor running, pour the oil into the food processor in a slow stream, then process for another 20 seconds. Stir this mixture and the carrots into the dry ingredients until no flour streaks remain.
Pour into prepared 9×13 or muffin tins. For 9×13, bake for 35-40 minutes (rotate half-way through) or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. For cupcakes, bake for about 30 minutes. For 9×13, let cool to room temperature.
For cupcakes:
let cool about 10 minutes, then remove from tins. For 9×13, Cook’s Illustrated suggests inverting the cake onto a wire rack, peeling off the parchment, then inverting onto a serving plate.
Spread icing over top.
CREAM CHEESE ICING / CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
8 ounces cream cheese, softened but still cool (I used Neufchatel, the reduced-fat cream cheese)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool (see KITCHEN TIPS)
1 tablespoon sour cream (loved this addition!)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/4 cups powdered sugar (also called icing sugar, confectioner’s sugar, it’s the white powdery stuff)
In the food processor (washed), mix the cream cheese, butter, sour cream and vanilla til smooth, wiping down the sides as needed. Add the powdered sugar and process til smooth, just a few seconds. NOTE: Half the icing was more than enough for a dozen cupcakes.
Cook’s Illustrated’s inspiring recipe fills a 9×13 pan. To make a dozen cupcakes, I cut this recipe in half. Half would also work for 9×9 pan.
Hands-on time: 65 minutes (for cupcakes, less time for 9×13)
Time to table: about 2 hours
Makes a 9×13 cake or (halving the ingredients below) 12 cupcakes
If you love this recipe please enjoy and share!
