This is the carrot cake recipe you need to make this Easter. In fact, you should bake it weekly starting right now! With an abundance of carrots creating a tender and flavorful cake and the addition of a modern twist with a decadent cream cheese mousse filling, this is the quintessential springtime treat. Once you've experienced the perfection of this carrot cake, you'll never search for another recipe again!
Why This is The Best Recipe
- It is extremely easy – You won´t need any fancy ingredients to make this carrot cake recipe. It comes together really easily, totally doable from scratch. Both the mixing process of the batter as well as making the cream cheese mousse is very simple, even for beginners
- It is crazy delicious – I never compromise on taste! The moist carrot cake base with a lovely airy, not-too-sweet cream cheese mousse is the most wonderful flavor pairing, that will blow your mind! You might never make traditional Carrot cake ever again!
- It is an honest, detailed tutorial – While this recipe might look long, all the information I have written here, every tip and trick will help you achieve the perfect results without any issues on the way. Remember, baking is science, and every little detail written here is to help YOU!
Ingredients for the Carrot Cake Part
1⅓ cup All purpose flour sifted
½ teaspoon Baking powder
½ teaspoon Baking soda
½ teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Pumpkin spice or a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves
½ cup Granulated sugar
¼ cup Brown sugar
2 Eggs at room temperature
¾ cup Vegetable oil
1½ cup Carrot - peeled and freshly shredded
⅔ cup Nuts - toasted & chopped walnut or pecans
Read also:
Flour guide for home bakers
Sugar guide for home bakers
Ingredients for the Cream Cheese Mousse Filling
5 No flavor Gelatine sheets or 2 ½ teaspoons gelatin powder
½ cup Heavy Cream
⅔ cup) Granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Lemon juice - freshly squeezed
1¾ cup Cream cheese ex. Philadelphia full fat
1½ cup Heavy Cream - 36% fat, use it very cold
1 tablespoon Vanilla bean paste or extract
Check also: Homemade vanilla extract
How to Make Carrot Cake Sponges
For a step-by-step detailed recipe visit the original Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Mousse article.
- Heat oven to 356°F.
- Line two 7-inch pans with parchment paper or grease well.
- Whip together room-temperature egg, oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for a minute or two.
- Sift dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt) and fold them into wet ingredients, then fold in shredded carrots and chopped nuts.
- Pour cake batter into the prepared cake pans. Make sure they weigh equally.
- Bake them for 20 min or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool them on a cooling rack.
- Once the cakes are cooled, trim 0.4-0.8 inches off around the edges on one of them, and keep the other one as it is. Pop them into the freezer for 5-10 minutes before assembling the cake.
How to Make the Cream Cheese Mousse Filling
For a step-by-step detailed recipe visit the original Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Mousse article.
- Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water. Check our gelatin guide if working with gelatin powder.
- Heat cream the smaller amount of cream with sugar on low-medium heat until just simmering.
- Squeeze excess water from the gelatin sheets and stir them into the hot cream, then mix in the lemon juice. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Do not place it into the fridge as gelatin tends to form lumps if cools too quickly.
- In another bowl whip cream cheese for a few minutes until light and fluffy, then fold in room temperature (not warm) gelatin mixture.
- Whip the larger amount of heavy cream until soft peaks and very gently, using a rubber spatula fold into the cream cheese mixture. It must stay light and fluffy.
How to Assemble the Cake
For a step-by-step detailed recipe visit the original Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Mousse article.
- Assemble a mousse ring or spring form to 7 inches in diameter.
- Start to build up the cake from bottom to top: Place the larger, 7-inch diameter sponge into the mousse ring, then pipe approx. 1-inch cream cheese mousse on top. Pop it into the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Place the smaller carrot cake sponge on top, then pipe cream cheese mousse around and also another 1-inch on top and smooth the top.
- Make sure you leave some mousse for later to decorate the cake
- Place the cake and the leftover mousse into the fridge to set for a minimum of 4 hours.
- Once the cake is fully set, carefully remove the mousse ring.
How to Decorate
After the cake sets in the fridge, as well as the remaining cream cheese mousse, carefully remove the mousse ring and acetate cake collar from the cake.
Transfer the remaining frosting into a piping bag fitted with a French star nozzle tip and pipe decorations on the top.
To finish, dust the cake with cinnamon or pumpkin spice and your carrot cake with cream cheese mousse is ready! Store refrigerated for 2-3 days.
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This article was originally published as Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Mousse at Spatula Desserts.
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