Baking 101: Carrot Cake / Cupcake

According to Wikipedia, carrot cake was first concocted during the medieval period, the time when the sweeteners were said to be insufficient and expensive. Since carrots have high sugar content, and were abundant that time, the early people made used of these to create this wonderful dessert. If not to their ingenuity, we would never have a taste of the carrot cake.

I cannot specifically remember when I first tasted this dessert, but I just had the courage to bake it last year and I was happy with the result. Here's the link for the picture. Last year, I used buttercream for frosting. This time, I shelled out a little more moolah for the frosting, I used cream cheese (cream cheese here are expensive!). And it made a HUGE difference in taste...the cream cheese and the carrot cake are definitely a match made in heaven.

Enough with my blah blahs hehehe! Here's the recipe for the carrot cake.

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Oops, by the way I got this recipe from Joy of Baking.

Ingredients

For the Cake
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups grated carrots
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsps ground cinnamon
1 cup walnuts
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 tsps vanilla extract

For the Frosting
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Garnish: Toasted and choped walnuts

Procedure
For the cake
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking pans with parchment papers.
2. Toast the walnuts until lightly brown. Cool and coursely chop.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the dry flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
4. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs for a minute. Gradually add the sugar and beat until thick.  Add the oil and then the vanilla extract. Beat until well incorporated.
5. Fold the grated carrots and nuts in the batter.
6. Pour the mixture in the prepared pans. 
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 
8. Remove from oven and cool completely. 
9. Prepare the frosting.

Frosting:
1. Using an electric mixer set on a low speed, beat the cream cheese and butter until you see no lumps. 
2. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat again until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. 

To assemble:
1. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. The bumpy top must be faced down. Spread frosting on top.
2. Place the second cake on top, top side down again (so you'll have a flat topped cake). Cover the entire cake with cream cheese frosting.
3. Garnish the cake with toasted walnuts.
4. Chill before serving.

UPDATE: AUGUST 26, 2011

Here's the cupcake version of the cake! Equally yummy!