The crowning glory of this carrot cake is its luscious cream cheese frosting, which envelopes each layer in a rich, velvety embrace. The frosting is expertly blended to achieve the perfect balance of sweetness and tang, enhancing the cake’s flavours without overwhelming them. This naked cake design showcases the beautiful layers, allowing carrot cake to peek through, creating a rustic yet elegant presentation. Simple decorations, such as a sprinkle of chopped walnuts or a few delicate edible flowers, add a touch of charm without detracting from the cake’s natural beauty.

Yield: two 8” (20 cm )cakes 

Cake Ingredients 

5 eggs

295 ml vegetable oil

320 g cake flour

400 g sugar

10 g cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1 ½  tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt 

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground nutmeg 

400 g peeled and grated carrot

75 g chopped walnuts 

Cream cheese filling

125 ml liquid whipped cream 

500 g cream cheese, room temperature

130 g icing sugar

2 tsp vanilla 

Preparation 

Preheat the oven to 350 F / 175 C. Line two 8” (20 cm) round pans with parchment paper.

Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

On a high- medium speed beat eggs with an electric mixer using a whisk until foamy. Lower the speed and add oil in a thin stream mixing well. 

Add flour mixture mixing with a spatula. Stir in carrots and nuts. 

Divide mixture evenly into pans. 

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. Cool in a pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a cooling rack. 

Filling 

In a mixing bowl mix whipped cream into soft peaks. In another bowl beat cream cheese and confectioners sugar until light and fluffy. Add whipped cream and mix on low speed until combined. 

Assembling cake

To assemble the cake gently remove parchment paper and cut-  split your cake layers horizontally to create more layers (2 layers become 4), use a knife first to score the cake layer all the way around. Then use a large serrated knife to cut the layer in half, using the scored line as a guide.  

To assemble, first place a cooled/chilled cake layer top side-down on a cardboard round, or directly onto your cake stand or plate. This way you’ll have a smooth surface to work with.

Next, Top with a layer of filling, about 1 cup for an 8-inch cake.  You can use a piping bag and tip, or a spatula. Repeat with the remaining layers.

At the end do a crumb coat, which is a thin coating of frosting spread over the whole cake to smooth out the shape of the cake and seal in crumbs. It doesn’t need to be a thick coat and it’s okay if it’s a little mess. And if you want you can stop there. The “naked cake look” is so popular right now which is just a simple crumb coat. 

Leave cake in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight

. 

Treat yourself and your loved ones to a slice of happiness with this four-layer carrot cake, where every bite is the joy that comes from sharing delicious food made with love.

Enjoy!

Bon Appetit!