CARROT LAYER CAKE

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ C flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¾ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 1 ¼ C light brown sugar
• ⅔ C vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 Tbsp coffee
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 10 oz shredded carrots
• ⅔ C dried currant
  
  
• 1 C softened unsalted butter
• 3 C icing sugar
• ⅓ C buttermilk powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 oz cream cheese
• ¼ C coffee
• 2 C pecans

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350°, set rack to middle. Grease an 18"×13" rimmed baking sheet, line it with parchment paper, and then grease the parchment paper too.
   
   
2. Shred carrots (~4) on the large holes of a box grater.
   
   
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves.
   
   
4. In a large bowl add sugar, oil, eggs, coffee, and vanilla. Use a whisk to combine until smooth. Gently stir in carrots and currants with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed.
   
   
5. Add dry mixture to wet and fold in with your rubber spatula, but only until it is just combined.
   
   
6. Empty batter onto baking sheet, spreading to an even depth. Bake for about 15 minutes, rotating half way through, until the center is firm when touched.
   
   
7. Allow cake to cool for 5 minutes in pan set on a wire rack. Flip the cake onto a wire rack then immediately re-flip back onto a second wire rack. The cake should be resting with the parchment side down. Allow the cake to cool for another 30 minutes.
   
   
8. While the cake is cooking, cut the cream cheese into 12 equal-size pieces, but keep it refrigerated until you are ready to use in step 10.
   
   
9. Add the butter, sugar and buttermilk powder to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir with wooden spoon until mostly combined and clumpy, and and the suger is less ready to fly everywhere. Insert to stand mixer and mix using the paddle attachment on low-speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add coffee and vanilla and mix another minute.
   
   
10. Increase mixer speed to medium-low, then add cream cheese one piece at a time. Mix for 2 minutes until the frosting is smooth.
    
    
11. Put cooled cake on a cutting board and cut into equal halves cross-wise. Cut in quarters so that you have 4 equal pieces, measuring about 6"×8" each.
    
    
12. Cut out a 6"×8" rectangle out of stiff cardboard. Put the first of the cake piece on the cardboard. Use a spatula to spread ⅔ C of frosting over layer. Repeat with two more layers.
    
    
13. Place the final cake layer on top. Remove any crumbs from your spatula and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting. You just need enough frosting on the sides to hold the chopped pecans, not completely hide all the crumbs.
    
    
14. Gently press the chopped pecans onto the side of your cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. (Cake needs to be cold to cut properly.)
    
    
15. Om nom nom.