Lemon Carrot Cake
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp ground Cinnamon
2 tsp ground Cardamom
3⁄4 tsp Vanilla Bean Sea Salt
3 cups grated Carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped Walnuts, toasted
1 cup Shredded Coconut, sweetened
1⁄2 cup moist, plump Golden Raisins
2 cups Sugar
1 cup Sicilian Lemon EVOO
Zest from 1 Lemon
4 large Eggs
Frosting:
8 oz Cream Cheese, at room temp
1 stick Unsalted Butter, at room temp
1 1⁄2 cups of Confectioners' Sugar
1 TBS fresh Lemon Juice
1⁄2 cup Shredded Coconut, toasted
Toasted finely chopped nuts and/or
toasted coconut, for topping
Directions:
For the cake: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour three 9-inch round, 2-inch deep cake pans, flour the insides and tap out the excess.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cardamom baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut and raisins.
Working in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a whisk, beat the sugar and oil together until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and beat until smooth. Grab your four ingredients and mix them together and fold into the wet mixture just until combined, you want a lumpy batter.
Divide the batter among the baking pans and bake the cakes for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, this helps for evenly baked cakes. Do the toothpick test, once it comes out clean and let them cool.
To make frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth, once smooth and airy add the lemon juice.
Once the cake is cool it’s time to frost BE MINDFULL of how much frosting you have for all 3 layers of the cake! Place one layer of the cake on your serving dish. Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer of cake, layer with frosting. Top with the last layer, frosting the top and the sides. Top the cake with French Toast Sugar Shaker, nuts and coconut, sprinkle on these ingredients now, while the frosting is soft. Slide the cake into the refrigerator for 15 minutes, this will allow for frosting to set.
