Carrot Cake with Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting, Revisited

Since its debut at a bridal shower my mother and I hosted last February, I couldn't wait to re-make this cake! Carrot cake is my favorite dessert. This one has a dense moist center-  full of crushed pineapple, chopped nuts, flaked coconut, and chewy raisins. But the frosting is what really sets it apart- real whipped cream and whipped cream cheese- not a speck of butter in site (in the entire cake actually). This is my all-time favorite frosting, on my favorite cake. Enough said.

2/7/09: I'm finding it hard to express my affection for this cake. With the addition of Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting it was sensational! I've always loved carrot cake, but not this much. This recipe can be made in a 9x13 pan or in three 9-inch rounds (the layers will be fairly thin). I prefer the rounds because you can stack them with frosting gobbed between each layer. I went all out and used pineapple and coconut (both essential) as well as pecans and raisins (which could be omitted if necessary). It was so much better than any store or restaurant carrot cake I have ever tried and a million times better than my wedding cake (sad, but true)! It could also be made in the form of cupcakes, which might be a good idea considering the difficulty I had with portion control. But don't hold back- this is one dessert that won't be around long enough for seconds!

I don't know how to put into words the absolute decadence of this frosting. The fifteen minutes I spent slaving with a hand mixer to whip air into the heavy cream was worth every second. (Next time Kitchen Aid will be doing all the work.) It paired beautifully (in taste and appearance) with my carrot cake, prepared for a friend's bridal shower. This is no ordinary cream cheese frosting. You have to experience it yourself to understand. I made sure that my bowl was cold, my cream cheese softened just enough to work with, and that my cream was whipped until stiff, and I didn't have any problem with it being too runny. You will want to keep it refrigerated (as well as the cake after frosting). It is light and rich and creamy and pure bliss.

Carrot Cake

INGREDIENTS
3 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour)
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup raisins (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. (Or 3 9-inch rounds.)

2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour mixture and mix well.

4. In a medium bowl, combine shredded carrots, coconut, walnuts, pineapple and raisins (optional).

5. Using a large wooden spoon or a very heavy whisk, add carrot mixture to batter and fold in well.

6. Pour into prepared 9x13 inch pan (or 9-inch rounds), and bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes (or 18-20 minutes for 9-inch rounds), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving or to cool completely before frosting.

Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, slightly softened
1 cup white sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl (keep cold) beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

2. In a separate large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Frosts one 9x13 inch cake.

NOTE: Double the frosting if you are making a 3-layer cake.

(Both recipes adapted from All Recipes)