Easter Carrot Cake
Easter carrot cake features carrots, pecans, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, Greek yogurt, and vanilla bean paste. It’s a delicious flavor packed cake that’s perfectly moist and tender.
Ingredients
Carrot Cake:
- 400 grams raw peeled orange carrots, roughly chopped
- 120 grams chopped pecans (1 cup)
- 175 grams light brown sugar (3/4 cup)
- 100 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 225 grams all-purpose flour (1-2/3 cups)
- 5 grams baking powder (1 teaspoon)
- 5 grams baking soda (1 teaspoon)
- 4 grams ground cinnamon (1-1/2 teaspoons)
- 120 grams vegetable oil (1/2 cup)
- 70 grams Greek yogurt (1/4 cup)
- 100 grams egg (2 large), lightly beaten
- 10 grams vanilla bean paste (2 teaspoons)
Vanilla Buttercream:
- 113 grams unsalted butter (1/2 cup OR 1 stick), softened
- 250 grams powdered sugar (2 cups)
- 30 grams heavy cream (2 tablespoons), cold
- 10 grams vanilla extract (2 teaspoons)
Citrus Buttercream:
- 113 grams unsalted butter (1/2 cup OR 1 stick), softened
- 250 grams powdered sugar (2 cups)
- 15 grams heavy cream (2 tablespoons), cold
- 5 grams fresh lemon juice (1 teaspoon)
- 5 grams fresh grapefruit juice (1 teaspoon)
- 5 grams fresh orange juice (1 teaspoon)
- 3 drops (1 each) yellow, pink, and orange food coloring gel
Instructions
Carrot Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line bottom of three (6-inch) round, OR two (8-inch round), or one 9-inch round baking pans with parchment paper.
- Add roughly chopped carrots to food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. Add pecans and pulse until well combined. Set aside.
- Add light brown sugar, superfine sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and ground cinnamon to large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add carrot mixture to flour mixture and stir to combine.
- Add vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, egg and vanilla bean paste to small bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Fold together with spatula until smooth.
- Divide cake batter evenly between cake pans. Bake 45 to 60 minutes (depending on the size of pan you’ve chosen), or until cakes are set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
- Remove pans from oven and place on wire rack. Allow cakes to cool completely before inverting and removing from pans.
- Remove parchment from bottoms of cake layers.
Vanilla Buttercream:
- Add unsalted butter to stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 5 minutes. Add powdered sugar and beat on medium for 5 minutes.
- Add heavy cream and vanilla extract. Beat on low until incorporated.
Citrus Buttercream:
- Add unsalted butter to stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 5 minutes. Add powdered sugar and beat on medium for 5 minutes.
- Add heavy cream and beat on low until incorporated.
- Divide buttercream into three small bowls.
- Add fresh lemon juice and 1 drop yellow food coloring gel to one bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add fresh grapefruit juice and 1 drop pink food coloring gel to one bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add fresh orange juice and 1 drop orange food coloring gel to one bowl. Stir to combine.