- 2 cups (5 dl) grated carrots
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup (1.5 dl) brown sugar
- 2/3 cup (1.5 dl) white sugar
- 2/3 cup (1.5 dl) neutral oil
- 2/3 cup (1.5 dl) sour cream or crème fraîche
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, or 2 tsp vanilla sugar
- 2 cups (5 dl) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
Cream Cheese Frosting- 16 oz (450 g) cream cheese
- 1 1/2 stick (170 g) soft butter
- 1 – 2 tsp lemon juice
- 4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (2.5 dl) pecans or walnuts, for decorating
Set the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line, or grease a 9-inch (23 cm) spring form. Peel and grate the carrots. In a clean bowl, beat eggs and sugar until light and creamy, then mix in sour cream, oil and vanilla extract. Sift the dry ingredients and carefully stir them in, before finally adding the carrots. Pour into the prepared springform and bake for 45-50 minutes (check with a cake tester or toothpick). Allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan and slicing it into three equal layers.
Cream Cheese FrostingBeat the cream cheese first to soften, then add butter and lemon juice. When mixed, add powdered sugar and beat until perfectly smooth and fluffy. Spread the frosting generously on each layer, then cover the cake completely. Decorate with chopped or whole nuts.
This cake tastes even better the next day!
If you prefer nuts and/or raisins in the sponge, feel free to add them. Personally, I think that the nuts stay more crunchy on the outside and raisins can make the cake overly sweet.
Sheet cake version: bake in a lined 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) pan and prepare half the amount of frosting. Spread only on top and decorate with nuts. Cut into squares and serve, or freeze for later. |
