Cinderella’s Carrot Cake

Let me introduce you to the carrot cake that rivals all carrots cakes. Taken from what the best cakes out there can offer, tweaked with secret recipes hustled from road trip finds and tweaked once more with recipe tips from my friends Ella and Fran who are also carrot cake snobs... This will put an end to your search for “the best carrot cake in the world” This is a from scratch made with love kind of cake. Simply put….a masterpiece!

Uh-oh! We're unable to calculate nutrition for this recipe because some ingredients aren't recognized.

Step 1

Roast the nuts and seeds and flakes until the coconut flakes are the same colour as the walnuts.

Step 2

Line three 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and lightly grease/spray. Set aside.

Step 3

Sift all the dry ingredients together 3 times. Set aside.

Step 4

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, whisk the oil, buttermilk, sugar, apricot jam, apple sauce, Cointreau and vanilla mixing together until thick and creamy and emulsified and the sugar dissolves.

Step 5

Slowly add the flour mixture, stopping to scrape down the bowl. Mix cake batter just until flour mixture is incorporated.

Step 6

Lightly beat the eggs and mix into the grated carrot with juice, pineapple with juice, roasted coconut, nuts and pumpkins seeds. Add this mixture to the cake batter folding in gently.

Step 7

Pour batter into the three prepared cake pans.

Step 8

Bake at 180 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cakes.

Step 9

While the cake is cooking. Make the syrup. Place all the ingredient for the syrup into a small pan and lightly simmer.

Step 10

Let cake set in the tin for 10 minutes/ prick the cake all over with a toothpick and then pour the syrup over cake. Allow it to soak in while you make the frosting.

Step 11

Remove cakes from the pans about 10 minutes after they are cool to the touch.

Step 12

Make sure the cream cheese and butter are at room temperature. Cream the butter, salt and vanilla together until white and creamy. Add the cream cheese and whisk together for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar beating together until fluffy and smooth.

Step 13

Once cakes are at room temperature, spread a little frosting onto a flat plate and place bottom cake onto frosting to “glue” to the plate. Spread the frosting between the cake layers, on the sides and top of cake. This is not the final coat, this is only the crumb-coat.

Step 14

Chill cake in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes, then apply a final coating of the frosting, add nuts to the sides for garnish.

Step 15

Refrigerate cake overnight, up to 24 hours and then serve.

Step 16

** For cupcakes, this recipe makes 36 cupcakes. Use cupcake liners, fill cups 3/4 full, bake for 17-19 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.