Carrot and Pecan Cake
About this recipe
Claire Saffitz's Carrot and Pecan Cake is a delightful twist on a classic dessert, perfect for any celebration. This version features toasted pecans and a rich brown butter cream cheese frosting that elevates the flavor profile to something truly special.
In this recipe, Claire emphasizes the importance of using the right amount of oil, fresh ginger, and buttermilk to create a moist and flavorful cake. The combination of spices and the unique frosting makes this cake not just delicious, but also visually impressive.
Ingredient notes
- You can use either pecan or walnut pieces and/or halves in this recipe.
- For the carrots, you'll need about 5 large ones, which will yield approximately 3 cups when coarsely grated.
Tips from Claire Saffitz x Dessert Person’s video
- Toast the pecans in the oven for 8-10 minutes until golden brown to enhance their flavor before adding them to the cake.
- Make sure all your wet ingredients, including the buttermilk and eggs, are at room temperature for better mixing and texture.
- When mixing the eggs and sugars, whip them until light and frothy to incorporate air, which helps create a light cake.
Good to know
- How many servings does this cake yield?
- This recipe yields about 8-10 servings.
- What is the total time required to make this cake?
- The total time to make this cake is approximately 2 hours.
- What type of oil should I use for the cake?
- You can use neutral oil, such as vegetable or grapeseed oil, for the cake.
- What size cake pans are needed for this recipe?
- You will need three 8-inch cake pans for this recipe.
No life story here — the video and the recipe are the whole point. All credit to Claire Saffitz x Dessert Person: watch the original on YouTube.
The recipe
Ingredients
Steps
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- 2
Toast 1.5 cups of pecans in the oven for about 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool.
- 3
Grate 1 pound of carrots using a box grater until you have about 3 cups of coarsely grated carrots.
- 4
In a bowl, combine the grated carrots with 1 cup of buttermilk, 1 tablespoon of finely grated fresh ginger, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Mix well and set aside.
- 5
Prepare three 8-inch cake pans by greasing them with neutral oil and lining the bottoms with parchment paper.
- 6
In a separate bowl, combine 2.5 cups of all-purpose flour, 2.5 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves. Whisk together until well mixed.
- 7
In a stand mixer, beat 4 large eggs with 3/4 cup of granulated sugar and 3/4 cup of packed dark brown sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and frothy, about 5 minutes.
- 8
Slowly stream in 1 cup of neutral oil while the mixer is running to emulsify the mixture.
- 9
Add the carrot mixture to the egg and sugar mixture and mix until combined.
- 10
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the remaining buttermilk, mixing until just combined.
- 11
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops.
- 12
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- 13
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
Heads up — we had to guess a little:
- The quantity for the neutral oil for the pans was inferred as a tablespoon based on typical usage for greasing pans.
Credit where it’s due: this recipe was transcribed from Claire Saffitz x Dessert Person’s original video on YouTube. Follow them there — it’s their dish.
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