This cake was magnificent. Perfectly dense and moist, but not over the top. The frosting, where do I begin...it tastes like heaven with each bite. Smooth, creamy, full of flavor but not too sugary sweet. I am telling you this cake is probably the best thing yet on Mama Makes it Best. Then, what do I see staring me down when I awoke this morning? Yep, this carrot cake was just begging to be eaten. So I appeased it by making it my breakfast.
Where did I find this unforgettable recipe? I went shopping with a girlfriend on Sunday. We had a great day-coffee, shopping, lunch, shopping, you know the routine. We had lunch at the Nordstrom Cafe and I saw this appealing cookbook while waiting to order. After skimming through it I knew I had to have it. The title alone had me sold, Nordstrom's Friends and Family Cookbook. So, here it is friends.....Enjoy!! I promise you won't be disappointed!
taken from Nordstrom's Friends and Family Cookbook
Cake
Unsalted butter for preparing pan
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for preparing pan
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup plus 2 TB canola oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cups finely grated, peeled carrots
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Frosting
3/4 pound cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups chopped walnuts, toasted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter two 9-inch round cake pans and then dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.
In a bowl, using an electric mixer set on low speed, beat together the sugar and canola oil until blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and salt, then slowly add the 1 1/2 cups flours and baking soda and beat just until smooth.
In a bowl, stir together the carrots, walnuts, and cinnamon, folding them into the batter until well distributed. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, smoothing the top with a spatula.
Bake the cake layers until a toothpick inserted near the center of each cake comes out clean, 40-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cakes rest in the pans on the wire racks for 10 minutes. Place a rack on top of 1 cake, invert the cake and rack, and then lift off the pan. Repeat with second cake. Let cool completely before icing.
Make frosting. In a bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until the frosting increases in volume by about half.
**AH! Bummer...had my camera on the wrong setting for the finale pictures--sorry so grainy ;(
Lay strips of parchment paper on stand before putting cake down-keeps your cake stand perfectly clean while you frost!
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