Carrot Cake

This carrot cake is the best carrot cake I've ever had, EVER. Super easy to make, moist, tasteful, it's a recipe that works really well.  Everybody who tried it loved it. If you like to make people happy through food, you should totally make this cake!

Cake:

• oil spray for the pans
• 2 cups/290 g all purpose flour, plus some extra for the pans
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups/300 g sugar 
• 1 1/2 cups/360 ml vegetable oil
• 3 cups/ 370 g finely shredded carrots
• 1 cup/115 g finely chopped walnuts

Frosting:

• 1 lb/ 455 g cream cheese at room temperature
• 6 Tbsp/ 85 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 1/4 cups/ 320 g powdered sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray two 9-in round cake pans, line the bottom with parchment paper and dust the insides of the pan with flour, tap out the excess. 

Sift the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt). In your kitchen aid mixer(if you have one) or in a bigger bowl beat the eggs until foamy. Slowly add the sugar and mix until thick, about 3 minutes. Drizzle the oil slowly - if you add it too quickly it will separate (kinda like when you're making mayo). At low speed add the flour mixture, mixing until its smooth. With a spatula mix in the carrots and walnuts. Divide the batter in the pans equally and tap the bottom so it gets smooth and you get rid of extra air bubbles in the batter.

Bake for 40 - 45 minutes, until the cakes are golden brown, and its passes the toothpick test. Let it cool in the pans for 10 min, and after you can transfer them to a cooling rack. (This is the point when I'm trying to hide them somewhere higher, so the dogs can't steal it)

For the frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in your mixer, when its combined gradually mix in the powdered sugar on low speed, and finish with beating it on high speed  for a few minutes until its light and fluffy. The frosting can be made up few days ahead, kept in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature, then beat it until its fluffy again.

When you are ready to build the cake, dome (trim) the tops of the cake, so they are even and flat. Take the trimmed parts and spread them on a sheet pan and put them back in the oven on 200ºF for 15 min to get completely dried. It might take longer or shorter time in your oven so keep an eye on it. When its dried put them in a food processor and grind it until it turns into crumble. You are gonna use this to crumb the side of the cake.  Put the first layer on a plate, cake plate or cardboard cake round, whatever you have for serving the cake. Spread a little more the third of the frosting, top with the second layer and spread the frosting all over the cake evenly. You cake choose if you want the surface to be smooth, or textured. I made mine with a spoon. Now you can crumb the side of the cake with the crumble you made earlier. Just put a good amount of crumble in your hand and brush the sides, use as much as possible, when you are done, you can just swipe off the excess from the side of the cake. When you are done just refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.  

(Recipe adapted from The Model Bakery Cookbook)