cook like james

Traditional Carrot Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 

Carrot Cake is a classic favorite for many. The problem is that sometimes the cake is either very dry or too moist, with an almost gummy texture, but this recipe delivers the perfect texture. I think the walnut oil gives the cake a greater depth of flavor, but you can use all vegetable oil if you can’t find good walnut oil.

Download Traditional Carrot Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe

Carrot Cake

½ cup currants

½ cup hot tap water

3 ounces chopped walnuts, toasted

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces)

1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon mace

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon salt

1 pound medium carrots (6 to 7 carrots), peeled

1 ½ cups granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces)

½ cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 ¼ cups vegetable oil or safflower oil

¼ cup walnut oil

Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces cream cheese, softened but still cool

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter softened, but still cool

2 tablespoon sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ¾ cups confectioners' sugar (7 ounces)

For the cake:

1.    Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13 by 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment and spray parchment. Soak the currants in hot tap water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2.    Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in large bowl; set aside.

3.    In food processor, pulse the carrots very finely to about the size of couscous.  (you should have about 3 cups); transfer carrots to bowl and set aside. Wipe out food processor work bowl and fit with metal blade. Process granulated and brown sugars and eggs until frothy and thoroughly combined, about 20 seconds. With machine running, add oils through feed tube in steady stream. Process until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 20 seconds longer. Scrape mixture into medium bowl. 

4.  Stir in carrots, raisins, nuts and dry ingredients until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain. Pour into prepared pan and bake until toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time. Cool cake to room temperature in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours.

For the frosting:

1.    Mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla at medium high speed in bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment until well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed.

2.     Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until very fluffy, about 1 minute.

3.    Run paring knife around edge of cake to loosen from pan. Invert cake onto wire rack, peel off the parchment, then invert the cake again onto serving platter. Using icing spatula, spread frosting evenly over surface of cake. Cut into squares and serve. (Cover leftovers and refrigerate for up to 3 days.)