Cake of the Day: 24K Carrot Cake from ‘New Prairie Kitchen’

Every day, Yahoo Food features delectable cakes. They taste good, they look good, and they’re made by good people — talented bakers from around the world. Today’s cake comes from Summer Miller’s cookbook New Prairie Kitchen, stories and seasonal recipes from chefs, farmers, and artisans of the Great Plains. Kristine Moberg of Queen City Bakery in Sioux Falls, S.D., shares her bakery’s popular carrot cake recipe.

Photo: Alison Bickel

24K Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Serves 8

This cake is the best way to eat your vegetables. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, but bring to room temperature before serving.
—Kristine Moberg QUEEN CITY BAKERY | SIOUX FALLS, SD

Cake
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon orange zest
1 ½ cups sunflower oil
4 eggs
4 ½ cups grated carrots
½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
¼ cup crushed and drained canned pineapple

Icing
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 pound cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
12 ounces confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Butter 3 8-inch round cake pans, then cut out a circle of parchment paper to cover the bottom of each.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and cloves and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, and orange zest. Whisk in the oil and eggs until well combined. Using a spoon or stiff spatula, add the carrots, coconut, and pineapple; stir until combined. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Do not overmix, as doing so will result in a tough cake.

Pour a scant 2¼ cups of cake batter into each prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from the pans.

To Make the Icing
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until it is smooth and has absolutely no lumps, about 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl; add the cream cheese and cream until combined. Scrape down the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and mix again. Scrape down the bowl. With the mixer running, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar. Scrape down the bowl, then mix for about 2 more minutes. Be careful not to overmix, as the icing will lose its structure.

Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand. Spread some icing on top of the first layer. Place the second layer of cake on top of the first and top that layer with icing as well. Place the third layer of cake upside down on the second; this will give you a nice level top to your cake. Plop quite a bit of icing on the top and, using an offset spatula, work the icing out to the sides in a circular motion. It’s OK if icing hangs over the sides of the cake. Continue working the icing over the top and down the sides of the cake. Finally, smooth out the sides and add more icing if needed. Serve. As mentioned above, you can also refrigerate the cake if you want to serve it later—just make sure to serve at room temperature.

Reprinted with permission from New Prairie Kitchen by Summer Miller, Agate Midway, 2015.

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