Cold Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

 

This carrot cake, sans raisins and nuts (!!) is, to me, perfect. If you can believe it, it doesn’t really need frosting, although I do understand the sentimental attachment. It also doesn’t really need to be served cold (it’s perfect at room temperature, too), but refrigerating it does give it a dense, custardy, almost fudge-like texture that screams “mid-day snack.”

YIELD — Makes one 9-inch cake

 

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • Cooking spray

  • 1¼ cups/180g all-purpose flour

  • 1½ teaspoons/3g ground cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon/6g baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon/4g kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon/4g baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon/1g ground turmeric, cardamom, or ginger (optional)

  • 3 large eggs

  • ¾ cup/155g light brown sugar

  • ⅔ cup/145g sour cream or Greek yogurt

  • 1 pound/455g carrots, peeled and grated

  • 10–12 Medjool dates (8 ounces/225g), pitted and chopped

  • 4 tablespoons/2 ounces/56g unsalted butter, melted

  • ¼ cup/50g vegetable or olive oil

For the topping:

  • 8 ounces/225g cream cheese, softened

  • ½ cup/60g powdered sugar

  • Kosher salt

  • 2 tablespoons toasted nuts, chopped (optional, but I love pistachios)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch cake pan with a round of parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and turmeric (if using).

3. In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, and sour cream together until well blended. Add the carrots and dates and, using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix until all the bits are evenly dispersed. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a spatula to mix until just combined. Add the melted butter along with the oil and stop mixing as soon as you’ve got a nice, even batter.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until the top is puffed and golden and the sides pull away from the pan, 40–45 minutes.

5. This cake can be eaten now, or, for what I think is the optimal carrot cake experience, refrigerate it until completely chilled before slicing.

6. To make the frosting, combine softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and a good pinch of kosher salt together in a medium bowl. Use a fork to combine everything (this is why the cream cheese needs to be at room temperature) until smooth, like softened butter. Spread onto the cake and sprinkle with chopped, toasted nuts if you like.

Notes

*Carrot cake can be baked 2 days ahead, tightly wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated. Frosted, it can be loosely covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.








newsletterAlison RomanComment