Vegetarian Classic Carrot Cake

Total time2 hr 5 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time35 min

This deeply spiced layer cake is everything a great carrot cake should be — moist, warmly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and packed with freshly grated carrots in every bite. Sour cream keeps the crumb tender while brown sugar adds a rich, caramel-y depth, and a handful of toasted walnuts or pecans folded into the batter gives each slice a satisfying crunch. The layers bake up tall and even, cool completely, then get swept in a thick, tangy cream cheese frosting that's beaten until light and spreadable. A quick chill before slicing keeps those layers clean and stacked high on the plate. It's a timeless dessert that fits naturally into a vegetarian kitchen, and it's easy to see why this version has staying power on any dessert table.

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the cake

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Bob's Red Mill Organic All Purpose Unbleached White Flour - 5 Lb Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Unbleached White Flour - 5 Lb Jovial Flour All Purpose Organic Einkorn Bag - 32 Oz Ka Flour Unbleached - 10 LB White Lily All Purpose Flour
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2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
4 large eggs
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups finely grated carrots (about 4 medium carrots)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

For the frosting

1 lb cream cheese, softened
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, then grease the parchment.
2
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until evenly combined.

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