My Honest Review of Ina Garten’s Carrot Cake Recipe
I hate to say this, but this cake was a major disappointment — and definitely not foolproof. The flavor was fine — the cinnamon was pleasant and the carrot flavor was bold without being vegetal — but the texture of the cake was a bit sticky and slightly marshy. It was as if the cake had been soaked in simple syrup. Not bad, but not exactly what I look for in a classic carrot cake.
The frosting didn’t do much to help this cake. It was too loose and hard to work with, making the presentation of the cake look sloppy and unfinished. No matter how much I chilled it, it kept melting off the cake when I tried to assemble it. It could have been the brand of mascarpone cheese I used (maybe I used a wetter one?), but it just didn’t work. As much as I love Ina and her recipes, this one didn’t do it for me.
How to Make Ina Garten’s Carrot Cake
Ina’s recipe is fairly simple but takes a decent amount of time to make. You’ll start by greasing two round baking pans, lining them with parchment paper, then greasing and flouring them.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together eggs, vegetable oil, and sugar, then stir in vanilla extract. In a separate large bowl sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. In a third bowl, toss together grated carrots, raisins, walnuts, and one tablespoon of flour. Stir into the batter, then divide the batter between the two prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and let them cool. As the cakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. Beat together mascarpone, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, cream, and vanilla extract until fluffy. Add chopped crystallized ginger and beat until combined. Place one cake onto a serving plate (rounded side-down), top with a layer of frosting, then top with the second layer. Frost just the top of the cake, then garnish with additional chopped crystalized ginger.
Divide the batter equally between the 2 pans. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans set over a wire rack. Mix the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until just combined. Add the sugar and mix until smooth.
Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans. Beat the sugar, oil, and eggs together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light yellow. Add the vanilla. In another bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, the cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
FAQ
Which of Ina Garten cookbook has carrot cake recipe?
Why do you use oil instead of butter in carrot cake?
How do you cut carrots for carrot cake?
