Martha Stewart's Carrot Cake - Martha, Martha, Martha!

Manageability – All day affair

It’s Easter time! That time of year you get the family together and… I don’t know, worship rabbits? What better way to praise our bunny god than to dye eggs into bright colors, and make him a sacrificial cake made of carrots!

Our carrot cake offering this year is Martha Stewart’s Carrot Cake, and although the finished product was savory and sweet, it took all day. ALL. DAY. I like carrot cake fine, but this was a back-breaker. The icing is really delicious and creamy. I ate so much while baking that I wanted to puke. But like – good puke. Also, the carrot twists were fun to make, and are a nice addition to the overall aesthetic.

As I mentioned before, it turns out I do not have all the tools in my kitchen that I need. This time I couldn’t find my icing spatula, so I had to use a butter knife. While she recommended a “bottom on top” method to obtain a level cake, I know she used a cake leveler. The liar! As a result, my cake is a bit plump and more rounded than Martha’s, but that’s the way it goes with Martha sometimes. Hopefully the great white fluffy rabbit in the sky won’t mind.

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned diced pineapple in juice, drained and puréed
3 cups finely shredded peeled carrots (from 1 bunch)
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Icing spatula, dammit.

Frosting

1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup whole pecans, toasted and finely chopped, for decorating (optional. But then again, I guess technically the whole recipe is optional)
Candied Carrot Curls, for decorating

Directions

Instructions Checklist

Step 1 For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans with oil. Line bottoms with parchment rounds; brush with oil. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt to thoroughly combine. In another bowl, whisk together oil, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, and pineapple. Stir wet mixture into flour mixture just until no dry flour remains (if you overmix, the cake will be tough). Fold in carrots and coconut.
Step 2 Divide mixture evenly between prepared pans, smoothing tops. Bake until cakes are puffed slightly and golden, and a tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack 20 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack, remove parchment, and let cool completely.
Step 3 For the Frosting: In a bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar so it incorporates evenly and continue mixing until smooth. Beat in vanilla.
Step 4 To Assemble: Split cakes in half horizontally with a long, thin-bladed knife to create 4 layers. For an evenly stacked cake, place a bottom layer, bottom-side down, on a cake plate with edges lined with parchment strips (to catch excess frosting). Spread a scant 1 cup frosting over it. Place a top layer, top-side down, over frosting. Spread with a scant 1 cup frosting. “Scant”
Step 5 Repeat with second top layer and more frosting. Stack last layer on top, bottom-side up. Spread a thin layer of frosting over top and sides of cake to create the “crumb coat,” which prevents crumbs from getting into the final frosting layer. Refrigerate remaining frosting and cake until crumb coat is firm, 20 minutes.
Step 6 Smooth remaining frosting evenly over cake with an offset spatula. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days. Press pecans evenly into bottom third of frosting. Pull away parchment; discard. Top with candied carrot curls.

Candied Carrot Curls

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

3 large orange or yellow carrots (or a combination), peeled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Patience

Directions

Instructions Checklist

Step 1 Peel carrots into thin strips. In a saucepan, bring sugar and 3/4 cup water to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir in carrots; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until very soft, about 20 minutes. Let cool in syrup 10 minutes. Drain.
Step 2 Preheat oven to 225°F. Arrange strips in a single layer on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until tacky but no longer wet, 30 to 40 minutes. You know, tacky? Like a house from the 90’s.
Step 3 Working quickly, spiral carrots around the handle of a wooden spoon (or your finger), and sprinkle with sugar to coat. (If strips harden before you curl them, bake for a few minutes to re-soften.) Let stand on a wire rack until crisp and dry, about 1 hour.