Grate the carrots using a box grater or a food processor. I like to use the small end of a box grater as I think this size is perfect for carrot cake.
Grease and flour the cake pans well. It isn’t very good when your masterpiece sticks. I love Baker’s Joy, and I have always had excellent results with it.
Bring the eggs to room temperature before making the cake.
Stir the cake portion of this recipe with a spoon and resist the urge to over-mix it. Mix just until combined.
Start checking the carrot cake for doneness at 30 minutes. Do not over-bake.
For the cream cheese frosting, soften the butter and cream cheese prior to making.
You can also use a hand mixer on medium speed to make the cream cheese frosting.
Use a cake stand with a little bit of a lip around it so that when some chopped pecans fall while you are pressing them on the sides, you can easily scoop them up and try again.
Carrot cake will stay fresh for 5-7 days when properly covered and stored in the fridge. Cover with plastic wrap to keep the cake from drying out.
HOW DO YOU FREEZE CARROT CAKE?
To freeze just the cake portion, wrap each layer individually in plastic wrap and then carefully place it in a large zipper freezer bag. Place it in the freezer in a safe area where it will not be smashed. The cake will stay tasty for about 3 months. To thaw, remove it from the freezer a couple of hours before you are ready to work with it and remove it just from the freezer bag, so condensation does not occur between the bag and the cake. When it is almost completely thawed, carefully remove it from the plastic wrap.
To freeze the whole carrot cake with frosting, place the cake in the freezer without anything on it for at least two hours or until the exterior of the cake is frozen enough to wrap. Then double wrap in plastic wrap and then a single layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. If at all possible, place it in a box and store it in the freezer for up to four months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
