Marla Gibbs Carrot Cake Recipes

CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper, and butter parchment. Dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.
• Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat 3 minutes. Add vanilla, water, and carrots. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture, then finely chopped pecans.
• Scrape batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen, and turn out cakes onto rack. Turn right side up, and let cool completely.
• Using a serrated knife, trim rounded top of 2 cakes. Place one trimmed cake, cut side up, on a serving platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake. Top with second trimmed cake, cut side down. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake. Top with remaining cake. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides. Gently press coarsely chopped pecans onto sides of cake. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

GIGI'S CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter 3 (9-inch) cake pans with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar, and beat. In a medium bowl or on a piece of parchment, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and mix well.
• Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the eggs, beating well after the addition of each. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the carrots and beat on medium speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Fold in the nuts. Divide between the 3 cake pans and bake until set and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest in the cake pans for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, remove from the pans, and let cool.
• For the Frosting: In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add the vanilla and pecans.
• When the cake is cool, place 1 cake layer on a cake plate or stand. Spread the top with cream cheese frosting and top with a second and third cake layer, spreading the icing between each layer. Spread the icing around the sides of the cake and let harden slightly before serving. To serve, cut into wedges.

PARMA-STYLE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
• Place the pine nuts, 1/2 cup sugar, and fennel seeds in a food processor and pulse to mince the nuts. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and the carrots. Pulse to mince the carrots. Add the mascarpone cheese and pulse until the cheese is incorporated.
• In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, until well blended.
• Add the carrot mixture to the butter mixture and stir until combined. Add in the reserved dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated.
• Place the mixture in a lightly greased and floured 8 by 10 by-2-inch baking dish. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes.
• Let the cake cool for 1 hour, then dust with powdered sugar. Cut into squares and serve.

PAULA'S EASY CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Mix all cake ingredients together with a spoon.
• Pour in 12x14 sheet pan sprayed with Pam.
• Bake at 350°F degrees for 35-40 minutes.
• Mix icing ingredients together and spread on cooled cake.

GIGI'S CARROT CAKE BY EMERIL LAGASSE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter 3 (9-inch) cake pans with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar, and beat. In a medium bowl or on a piece of parchment, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and mix well.
• Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the eggs, beating well after the addition of each. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the carrots and beat on medium speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Fold in the nuts. Divide between the 3 cake pans and bake until set and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest in the cake pans for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, remove from the pans, and let cool.
• For the Frosting: In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add the vanilla and pecans.
• When the cake is cool, place 1 cake layer on a cake plate or stand. Spread the top with cream cheese frosting and top with a second and third cake layer, spreading the icing between each layer. Spread the icing around the sides of the cake and let harden slightly before serving. To serve, cut into wedges.

SISTER BETH'S CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Whisk vegetable oil, white sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract together in a bowl until smooth.
• Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
• Stir oil mixture into flour mixture until a well-mixed batter forms.
• Fold carrots, pineapple, coconut, and walnuts into batter; pour into prepared baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour; cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Whisk confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, butter, and a dash vanilla extract together in a bowl until well blended; spread over cooled cake.

SAM'S FAMOUS CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x12 inch pan.
• In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour mixture and mix well.
• In a medium bowl, combine shredded carrots, coconut, walnuts, pineapple and raisins.
• Using a large wooden spoon or a very heavy whisk, add carrot mixture to batter and fold in well.
• Pour into prepared 8x12 inch pan, and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour. Check with toothpick.
• Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.