Indulge in a culinary masterpiece with our tantalizing 3-Layer Carrot Cake, a symphony of flavors and textures that will leave you craving for more. This delectable cake is not just an ordinary dessert; it's an experience that will transport you to a world of sweet indulgence. With its moist and fluffy carrot cake layers, sandwiched between a luscious lemon buttercream frosting, this cake is a delightful harmony of flavors. Each bite offers a burst of carrot cake goodness, perfectly balanced by the tangy sweetness of the lemon frosting. The combination of spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, adds warmth and depth to the cake, while the chopped walnuts provide a delightful crunch. But that's not all; this article also features a collection of delectable recipes that complement the carrot cake perfectly. Discover the secrets of making a smooth and creamy lemon buttercream frosting, the perfect addition to any cake or cupcake. Learn how to create a stunning carrot cake crumb topping that adds a touch of elegance and texture to your dessert. And for those who love a bit of extra indulgence, we've included a recipe for a rich and decadent chocolate ganache, perfect for drizzling over the cake or serving as a dipping sauce. With these recipes at your fingertips, you'll be able to create a carrot cake that's not just a dessert, but a masterpiece.
Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!
THREE-LAYER CARROT CAKE
Editor's Note: If you are someone who loves their carrot cake, here is a great recipe for one that is easy and delicious. This recipe is exceptional with its ease and excellence. This particular cake comes out extra moist due to the use of peanut oil as the shortening. This is a secret of the Deep South, where they love to use peanut oil instead of shortening. Additionally, this recipe includes large amounts of pecans and some cocoa, which both aid in making the cake more flavorful with a broader texture to it. The frosting tops off this dessert. Don't worry if you feel there is too much frosting. It usually all gets used. Carrot cake is fairly ubiquitous, but this one is a bit above the rank and file. Peanut oil, common in the Deep South, is the shortening and makes for an exceptionally moist cake. The cocoa and the large amount of pecans-another crop of the region-give a greater depth of flavor and more texture too. It will look like there's a huge amount of frosting, but all of it will be used. No one has ever complained to me that there's too much frosting on their carrot cake. Like many cakes, this one seems to develop more flavor if made several hours, or a day, before serving.
Provided by Edna Lewis, Scott Peacock
Categories Cake
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Put the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and cocoa in a mixing bowl, and whisk together to blend. Put the sugars in a large mixing bowl, and whisk in the peanut oil. Then whisk in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
- When fully blended, add the flour mixture all at once, and mix just until smooth. Stir in the grated carrots and the pecans. Divide the batter evenly between the three 9-inch cake pans, lightly buttered and floured. Drop each pan sharply onto the counter from a height of about 6 inches to remove any air pockets.
- Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the center of the layers springs back gently when touched.
- Remove from the oven, and place on cooling racks until completely cooled, then unmold.
- Cut the butter into 2-inch pieces, and put in the mixing bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium speed just until the butter begins to become malleable, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese in pieces, and mix until thoroughly blended. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, and mix until blended. Increase mixer speed slightly, and continue mixing for 2-3 minutes, until the frosting becomes light and fluffy.
- Remove from the mixer, and fold in the pecans.
- Place one of the cake layers, bottom side up, on a cake plate or pedestal. Spoon approximately a quarter of the frosting onto the layer, and spread it over evenly.
- Place a second layer, bottom side down, on top of the first, and spread with an equal amount of frosting. Place the final layer, bottom side down, on top of the others, and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
- Store in a cool but not refrigerated area until serving.
THREE-LAYER CARROT CAKE
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Time 1h30m
Yield 10 to 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Make the cake: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Brush three 9-inch-round cake pans with vegetable oil and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then pulse in a food processor until very finely chopped.
- Combine the pecans, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and granulated sugar in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, lemon zest, eggs and 1/2 cup marmalade. Stir in the carrots, then fold the carrot mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Divide among the prepared pans and spread evenly (it won't look like a lot of batter, but the cakes will rise in the oven). Put 2 pans on the upper oven rack and the third pan on the lower rack. Bake until the cakes bounce back when touched and a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, switching the position of the pans halfway through. Transfer the pans to racks until cool enough to handle, then invert the cakes onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment.
- Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a bowl with a mixer until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt until smooth.
- Put 1 cake layer on a platter. Spread with 1 tablespoon marmalade, then spread about 3/4 cup frosting over the marmalade. Top with another cake layer, marmalade and frosting. Spread the final cake layer with a thin layer of frosting. (This is the crumb coat; it doesn't have to be perfect.) Refrigerate 1 hour, then cover with the remaining frosting. Swirl some marmalade into the top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Photograph by Con Poulos
THREE-LAYERED CARROT CAKE
My mom loved carrots so much she put them in various dishes at least five times a week when I was growing up. Her specialty was a homemade carrot cake that was requested for every special occasion. When I made this for her 70th birthday, she cried with each bite. -Paula Marchesi, Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 1h20m
Yield 16 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of 3 greased 8-in. square baking pans with parchment; grease paper., In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk orange juice and sour cream. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugars and orange zest until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. If desired, beat in thyme. Add flour mixture alternately with orange juice mixture, beating well after each addition., With clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Gently fold in shredded carrots and pecans., Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, orange zest and juice until blended. Gradually beat in enough confectioners' sugar to reach desired consistency., Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate until serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 744 calories, Fat 35g fat (18g saturated fat), Cholesterol 145mg cholesterol, Sodium 420mg sodium, Carbohydrate 104g carbohydrate (88g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 7g protein.
LEMON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
The secret to perfecting every dessert you make this season? This homemade lemon buttercream frosting. Layer cakes, cookies, cupcakes-you name it, chances are it's going to taste better with a little bit of this citrusy frosting on top. The best part is that it's super easy to make, and you only need four ingredients to get started. Just mix together butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice and grated lemon peel for an ultra-creamy, tart and tangy, best-you-ever-had lemon buttercream frosting.
Provided by By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Dessert
Time 10m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Beat butter, lemon peel and lemon juice in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat 2 to minutes longer or until light and fluffy.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 Serving
THREE-LAYER CARROT CAKE
Provided by Food Network
Categories dessert
Time 2h15m
Yield 12 to 16 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly butter and flour the cake pans.
- Put the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and cocoa in a mixing bowl, and whisk together to blend. Put the sugars in a large mixing bowl, and whisk in the peanut oil. Then whisk in the eggs, 1 at a time, followed by the vanilla. When fully blended, add the flour mixture all at once, and mix just until smooth. Stir in the grated carrots and the pecans. Divide the batter evenly between the 3 cake pans. Drop each pan sharply onto the counter from a height of about 6 inches to remove any air pockets. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the center springs back gently when touched. Remove from the oven and place on cooling racks until completely cooled; then unmold.
- Place 1 of the cake layers, bottom side up, on a cake plate or pedestal. Spoon approximately 1/4 of the frosting onto the layer, and spread it over evenly. Place a second layer, bottom side down, on top of the first, and spread with an equal amount of frosting. Place the final layer, bottom side down, on top of the others and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Store in a cool but not refrigerated area until ready to serve.
- Place the butter in the mixing bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium speed just until the butter begins to become malleable, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream cheese, in pieces, and mix until thoroughly blended. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, and mix until blended. Increase mixer speed slightly, and continue mixing for 2 to 3 minutes, until the frosting becomes light and fluffy. Remove from the mixer, and fold in the pecans.
TRIPLE-LAYER CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
An easy Triple-Layer Carrot Cake recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting
Provided by Becky Guyton
Categories Cake Mixer Dessert Bake Cream Cheese Raisin Pecan Carrot Chill Bon Appétit Ohio Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Soy Free Kosher
Yield Serves 10
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- For cake:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Lightly grease waxed paper. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and vegetable oil in bowl until combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into sugar and oil mixture. Stir in carrots, chopped pecans and raisins.
- Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing equally. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans, about 45 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.)
- For frosting:
- Using electric mixer, beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Top with another cake layer. Spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Using icing spatula, spread remaining frosting in decorative swirls over sides and top of cake. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate.) Serve cake cold or at room temperature.
FANTASTIC 3-LAYER CARROT CAKE
Make and share this Fantastic 3-Layer Carrot Cake recipe from Food.com.
Provided by what-a-kerfuffle
Categories Dessert
Time 1h20m
Yield 16 slices, 16 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8" or 9" round cake pans.
- Mix flour, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Make a well in the center. Add sugar, oil, applesauce, egg, and vanilla. Mix until just smooth; do not overmix.
- Use a food processor or blender to puree pineapple. Stir pineapple, walnuts, and coconut into batter. Pour into pans.
- Bake 35-40 minutes. Use a toothpick to make sure the centers are cooked through.
- Cool on baking racks. The centers may sink a little.
- Once thoroughly cooled, level the cakes. You may want to freeze them for a few minutes to make icing them easier.
- Mix butter and cream cheese until smooth, and add the powdered sugar. Start with 3 1/2 c and add more if necessary.
- Place the cake layers cut side down to frost. If you have problems with the cake crumbling, put it back in the freezer until it's harder.
Tips:
- Mise en Place: Before you start baking, make sure you have all your ingredients and tools ready. This will help you stay organized and avoid any scrambling.
- Fresh Ingredients: Use the freshest ingredients possible for the best flavor. This is especially important for the carrots, which should be grated finely.
- Creaming the Butter and Sugar: Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This will help to incorporate air into the batter, resulting in a lighter, more tender cake.
- Gradually Add the Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. This will help to prevent the batter from curdling.
- Don't Overmix: Once you've added all the ingredients, mix the batter only until just combined. Overmixing can result in a tough, dense cake.
- Baking the Cake: Bake the cake in a preheated oven. This will help to ensure that the cake bakes evenly.
- Cooling the Cake: Let the cake cool completely before frosting it. This will help to prevent the frosting from melting.
- Making the Lemon Buttercream Frosting: Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then, add the lemon juice, zest, and salt. Beat until well combined.
- Frosting the Cake: Once the cake is completely cool, frost it with the lemon buttercream frosting. You can use a spatula or a piping bag to create a variety of designs.
Conclusion:
This 3-layer carrot cake with lemon buttercream frosting is a delicious and impressive dessert that is perfect for any occasion. With its moist and tender crumb, sweet and tangy frosting, and beautiful presentation, this cake is sure to be a hit. So next time you're looking for a special dessert to make, give this carrot cake a try. You won't be disappointed!
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