My Ultimate Carrot Cake with Raisin, Walnuts and Cream Cheese Frosting

ULTIMATE CARROT CAKE
RAISINS, WALNUTS & CREAMCHEESE FROSTING
INGREDIENTS
(A) wet ingredients
4 large eggs
180g brown sugar
2tsp vanilla
240ml oil

(B) dry ingredients
260g All purpose flour
1tsp baking soda
1 1/2tsp baking powder
1/4tsp salt
1 1/2tsp cinnamon powder

(C)
340g grated fresh carrot
100g toasted chopped walnut ( for cake & garnish )
1/4cup raisin ( soaked in juice / water )

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
230g cream cheese, room temperature
Unsalted butter ( i omit butter )
Icing sugar to taste
1tsp vanilla
1tsp lemon juice

* Cream Cheese Frosting: In bowl beat the cream cheese on low speed, just until blended with no lumps. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until fully incorporated and smooth.  Beat in the vanilla extract, and lemon zest.

METHOD:-
* Pre-heated oven 180c.  Grease bottom and side line with grease paper.
* Pre-heated oven toast walnuts 180c for 20mins. Let cool and chop coarsely, set aside.
* Soak raisin in bowl of warm water or juice.
* Peel and finely grate the carrots.
* In a separate bowl whisk Dry Ingrdients (B)
* Wet Ingredients (A) - In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs until frothy (about 1 minute). Gradually add the sugar and beat until the batter is thick and light colored (about 3 - 4 minutes). Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add (A) with a spatula, mix well. With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots and 80% chopped walnuts and 20% for garnishing.
* Bake for 1 hour, no more no less.
* Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 5 -10 minutes invert the cakes onto the wire rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, and then cool completely before frosting.
* To assemble: place one cake layer onto your serving plate. Spread with about half the frosting. Gently place the other cake onto the frosting and spread the rest of the frosting over the top of the cake, garnish with toasted walnuts.
* Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

10.06.2013 - Batam.  Its Deedat 3 years & 4 months old birth-date celebration.  As we celebrating his birth-date every 10th of the month.  So this month, i decided to make him Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting.  Carrot cake is so easy to make and simply delicious.

I have everything ready at my pantry except for walnuts or pecans.  so i used cashew nuts instead. The taste is just as good as walnuts.

Ingredients :-

1 cup (100 grams) chopped cashewnuts
3/4 pound (340 grams) raw carrots (about 2 1/2 cups finely grated)
2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar
1 cup (240 ml) safflower, vegetable or canola oil (or other flavorless oil)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cups (230 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (outer yellow skin) (optional)

METHOD:-

Carrot Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (200 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter or spray cake pan and line the bottoms of the pan with parchment paper.  If you have a bigger oven, you can eventually use two round - 9 x 2 inch (23 x 5 cm) cake pans and sandwich them together when frosting. My oven is slightly small, so i used 1 pan for this recipe.

Toast the cashewnuts until cooked and browned, let cool and then chop coarsely.

Peel and finely grate the carrots.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon.

In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs until frothy (about 1 minute). Gradually add the sugar and beat until the batter is thick and light colored (about 3 - 4 minutes).

Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts.

Transfer batter into the pan, bake 25 to 30 minutes or up to 50mins until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 5 -10 minutes invert the cakes onto the wire rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, and then cool completely before frosting.

To assemble: place one cake layer onto your serving plate. Spread with about half the frosting. Gently place the other cake onto the frosting and spread the rest of the frosting over the top of the cake. If desired, garnish with toasted nuts on the top of the cake. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Serves 10 - 12.
Cream Cheese Frosting: In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the cream cheese and butter, on low speed, just until blended with no lumps. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat, on low speed, until fully incorporated and smooth.  Beat in the vanilla extract, and lemon zest.