Bon Appetit's Best Carrot Cake

I’m not a huge carrot cake fan but somehow had a plethora of leftover carrots and figured if I masked them with a bunch of sugar, butter, and flour, I could probably find a way to be interested in it. Original recipe from here.

INGREDIENTS

Cake

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray

• ½ cup golden raisins (optional)

• 3 tablespoons dark rum (optional)

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

• 1 pound carrots, peeled, coarsely grated

• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger

• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt

• ¾ teaspoon baking soda

• 4 large eggs, room temperature

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• ¾ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• ¾ cup vegetable oil

Frosting and Assembly

• 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Generous pinch of kosher salt

• 4 cups powdered sugar

• Candied Carrot Coins (optional)

RECIPE PREPARATION

Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly coat two 9"-diameter cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper rounds; lightly coat rounds with nonstick spray. If using raisins and rum, heat together in a small saucepan over low just until warm, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit until liquid is absorbed and raisins are plump, 15–20 minutes.

• Meanwhile, toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes; let cool. Combine carrots and buttermilk in a medium bowl.

• Whisk flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until pale and thick, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and gradually stream in oil. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with carrot mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients; mix until smooth. Fold in raisins, if using, and walnuts with a rubber spatula. Scrape batter into prepared pans.

• Bake cakes, rotating pans halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35–45 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cakes cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around sides of cakes and invert onto wire rack; remove parchment. Let cool completely.

Frosting and Assembly

• Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla extract and salt. Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in powdered sugar. Increase speed to high and beat frosting until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

• Place 1 cake, domed side down, on a platter. Spread ¾ cup frosting evenly over top. Place remaining cake, domed side down, on top. Spread top and sides with 1¼ cups frosting and chill 30 minutes to let frosting set. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides, swirling decoratively. Top with Candied Carrot Coins, if desired.