30
Desserts
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
The food processor makes this classic cake a breeze – it does all the work from shredding
the carrots to making the frosting.
Yield:
one 2-layer cake, about 16 servings
INGREDIENTS
Cake:
Nonstick cooking spray
2
cups (500 ml) unbleached, all-purpose
flour
2
teaspoons (10 ml) ground cinnamon
1½
teaspoons (7.5 ml) baking powder
½
teaspoon (2.5 ml) baking soda
1
teaspoon (5 ml) fine sea salt
1
cup (250 ml) walnuts, toasted
1
pound (454 g) carrots (6 to 8 medium),
peeled
1
cup (250 ml) granulated sugar
1
cup (250 ml) packed light or dark brown
sugar
1
cup (250 ml) vegetable oil
4
large eggs
1½
teaspoons (7.5 ml) pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting:
Makes about 3½ cups (875 ml)
8
ounces (227 g) cream cheese
(1 standard package), cut into
8 pieces, room temperature
8
tablespoons ([120 ml] 1 stick) unsalted
butter, cut into 8 pieces, room
temperature
2
ounces (57 g) goat cheese, room
temperature (sour cream or plain
yogurt can be substituted)
²⁄³
cup (150 ml) confectioners’ sugar
¼
teaspoon (1 ml) fine sea salt
¼
teaspoon (1 ml) pure vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) with the rack in the middle position. Coat two 9-inch (23 cm)
round baking pans with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment; set aside.
2. Insert the chopping blade into the work bowl of the food processor. Add the flour, cinnamon,
baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Process on Low for 10 seconds. Transfer to a large
mixing bowl.
3. Put the walnuts in the work bowl and pulse 2 to 3 times to coarsely chop. Leaving the nuts in
the bowl, remove the chopping blade and replace with the medium shredding disc. Shred the
carrots on High. Add the nuts and carrots to the bowl with the dry ingredients.
4. Remove the shredding disc and replace with the chopping blade. Add the sugars to the work
bowl. In a large measuring cup, combine the oil, eggs, and vanilla. While the unit is running on
Low, gradually add the wet ingredients through the feed tube. Process until well mixed, about
30 to 45 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the wet
ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted
in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan.
6. Prepare the frosting. Clean the chopping blade and insert into the cleaned work bowl. Add the
cream cheese and butter and process on High until smooth, about 60 seconds, stopping to
scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the goat cheese; process another 10 to 15 seconds.
Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla and process until completely smooth, another 15 to
20 seconds.
