Carrot Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

It has taken me three different attempts to get this recipe right, but we're finally bloggable!  I have yet to find a plain cream cheese frosting recipe that I love, so this one has a peanut butter variant. 

Yield:  a 9-inch double layer cake with enough frosting for full coverage

Cake Recipe (Brands Tested):

Dry ingredients:

• 2 cups plus 12 tbsp. all-purpose flour (almost 2 3/4 cups) (YA Harina de Trigo Fortificada Sin Polvo de Hornear)
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda (Condimensa Bicarbonato de Sodio)
• 1 tsp. kosher salt (Cris-Sal Sal Marina Kosher)
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (McCormick Canela)
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg (Nuez Moscada en Polvo Supermaxi brand)
• 1/8 tsp. ground ginger (Nature's Heart Jengibre Molido)

Wet ingredients:

• 1 cup sunflower oil (Smart Selection Aceite de Girasol)
• 56 g (approx. 1/4 cup) sour cream (Pacose Salsa Crema Agria)
• 1 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (Schullo Azúcar Morena)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (Supermaxi brand)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (La Reposteria Saborizante Sabor a Vainilla)
• 4 large eggs (Supermaxi brand - grande)
• 300 g (approx. 1 1/2 cup) finely grated carrots (Hortana)

Executive chef is wary of yet another attempt.  Will the third time be the charm?

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

While the oven is preheating, grease two 9-inch baking pans with spray oil.

In a large bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger).  Whisk together and set aside.

In another large bowl, mix the oil, sour cream, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until completely combined.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each. 

Stir the grated carrots into the wet ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix in three separate additions, mixing until just incorporated after each.

Divide the batter evenly into the two baking pans.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

In a perfect world, I would cool these under normal conditions, i.e., cooling in the pans for 10 minutes, then inverting them onto wire racks to finish cooling.  I was in a mad rush today, so I popped both pans into the freezer for 30 minutes to speed-cool, which worked!

Now, onto the frosting, which should only be applied to fully cooled cakes:

Frosting Recipe (Brands Tested):

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened (Toni Queso Crema Clásico)
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened (Nutri Mantequilla Sin Sal)
• 3 cups confectioner's sugar (Azúcar Impalpable Supermaxi brand)
• pinch of table salt  (Cris-Sal Sal de Mesa)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract (La Reposteria Saborizante Sabor a Vainilla)
• 200 g (approx. 3/4 cup peanut butter) (JIF Creamy Peanut Butter)

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter at medium speed.

Add the cream cheese and beat on medium-high speed until smooth (approx. 2 minutes).

Gradually add the confectioner's sugar and beat at low speed until fully incorporated.  Once fully incorporated, beat at high speed until smooth (approx. 2 minutes).

Add the vanilla extract and pinch of salt.  Mix until smooth.

Add peanut butter and mix until desired consistency is reached.  Feel free to add more peanut butter or confectioner's sugar, to taste!

At this point, let your creative wings take flight.  I frosted the bottom layer, slathered the top, and then attempted to center the top layer.  After that, I went to town with an offset spatula, a squiggly decorating tip, a bunch of Noggy chocolates, and no actual plan.  The result was not commercially viable, but my audience didn't mind a bit.  

I have no empirical data on storage and longevity, alas.  But I suspect you could get at least a few days of run time, especially with refrigeration.  

Enjoy!