Email to Cat      

Coconut Carrot Cake

Source of Recipe

From "Half Baked Harvest Super Simple" by Tieghan Gerard


Recipe Introduction

"The idea of carrot cake has always sounded a bit off to me. Don't get me wrong, I love carrots, but I love them roasted or raw—why would I want them in my cake? It's always something I wondered about, but then I experienced my first slice of homemade carrot cake and my views on carrot cake changed forever. I finally understood what all the hype was about. Not only do the carrots add moistness to the cake, the sweet flavor they give off is surprisingly delicious. I kept the flavors and elements of a traditional carrot cake but added sweet coconut for a tropical touch, swirled dried berries into the cream cheese frosting for a pop of pretty pink color, and decorated with fresh flowers...some people decorate with sprinkles, but then there's me, and flowers are the sprinkles in my life."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ Butter, for greasing
â—¦ 1 ½ cups canola oil
â—¦ ¾ cup buttermilk
â—¦ 3 eggs, at room temperature
â—¦ 1 cup granulated sugar
â—¦ ½ cup packed light brown sugar
â—¦ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
â—¦ 1 pound carrots, grated
â—¦ 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
â—¦ 3 cups all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
â—¦ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
â—¦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Cream Cheese Frosting:
â—¦ 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
â—¦ 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
â—¦ 2 to 3 cups confectioners' sugar
â—¦ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
â—¦ 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries, ground to a fine powder (optional)


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the two long sides. Lightly grease the parchment paper.

Make the cake. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the canola oil, buttermilk, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the carrots and coconut. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix just until there are no longer any clumps of flour, about 2 minutes. Pour the batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the top is just set and no longer wiggly in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife around the outside edge to loosen it from the paper. Let it cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beating until combined, about 2 minutes more. Beat in the berry powder (if using).

Assemble the cake. Using the parchment paper overhang, carefully lift the cake from the baking sheet. With a sharp serrated knife, cut the cake evenly into three rectangular layers (about 13 x 6 inches each)—these will be your layers. Then, using scissors, carefully cut through the parchment paper, leaving the paper intact underneath each layer of cake to help you stack the layers.

Place one cake layer on a serving plate. With a knife or an offset spatula, spread one-third of the frosting all the way to the edge. Place the second layer on top and spread another third of the buttercream all the way to the edge. Add the third layer and spread the remaining frosting over the top. Serve or store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one day.

Serves 16