Naked Carrot Cake

5 from 1 vote

This Naked Carrot Cake is a must-try! Its made from layers of moist carrot cake dotted with walnuts and covered in a layer of delicious cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time1 20

Cook Time50

Chilling time8

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Calories: 432kcal

Author: Cat Spiller

Equipment

3x 15cm (6-inch) round cake pans

Ingredients

Carrot Cake

300 g muscovado sugar
300 g light brown sugar
600 ml sunflower oil
6 eggs extra large
600 g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon ground
1 teaspoon ginger ground
1 teaspoon nutmeg ground
2 tablespoon vanilla extract
600 g carrots
200 g walnuts chopped
80 g dried cranberries

Cream Cheese Frosting

500 g powdered sugar
80 g unsalted butter
250 g cream cheese

White Chocoalte Drip

80 g chocolate white
20 ml cream whipping
food coloring optional

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Carrot Cake

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 3 x 15cm (6-inch) cake tins with oil and parchment paper.
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the oil, eggs, and sugar. Beat at medium-high speed until well combined, for about 3 minutes.
Sift together the flour, salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. With the mixer running at low speed, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix at medium-low speed until just combined.
Add the grated carrots, vanilla, cranberries, and chopped walnuts to the cake batter. Mix at low speed until combined, be sure the ingredients have mixed through but do not over-mix the batter.
Pour the batter evenly between the 3 prepared cake pans and bake in a preheated oven for about 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool in their tins for 30 minutes, then remove them and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap each cake layer in plastic wrap and place them in the fridge overnight. Make the frosting the next day.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Add the butter and icing sugar to a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
Add the room temperature cream cheese and vanilla to the frosting mixture and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again until light and fluffy. This can take about 5 – 7 minutes.
Fill a piping bag. Add the just-mixed frosting to a piping bag, now you are ready to decorate.

Decoration

Remove the cake layers from the fridge and discard the plastic wrap. Use a bread knife to cut the tops off the cake layers so they are straight.
Secure one cake layer on a cake plate with a little frosting, smooth a layer of frosting over the surface of the cake layer, and place the second layer on top. Continue with the final layer of cake.
Pipe a thin layer of frosting around the sides and top of the cake, and use a cake scraper to smooth out the sides of the cake. Scraping off the excess frosting to reveal the cake underneath for a naked carrot cake effect. Place the cake in the fridge for one hour.
Add the chopped chocolate and cream to a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30-second intervals until the chocolate has just melted. Be sure to stir the mixture between each interval. Do not overheat.
Once melted stir thoroughly and allow the melted chocolate mixture to cool and thicken slightly if needed. Add the food coloring and stir to combine. Use a jug or teaspoon to help create the drips down the sides of the cake.
Allow the chocolate drip to set before adding flowers or candies to the top of the cake. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Use a pastry brush to dust off any loose crumbs from the cake layers before frosting.
Heat the cream and chopped chocolate gently, otherwise the mixture could seize and you will have to stat again with fresh ingredients.

Nutrition