Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Voorbereiding

Carrot cake is a classic, but everyone has their own take on the best version. Ours is packed with nuts, fruit, and carrots, and then baked in the same pan used to toast the pecans and brown the butter. If you’re not a fan of golden raisins, feel free to swap in any pitted and chopped dried fruit you like. This recipe yields enough cream cheese frosting for a generous layer, but you can easily double it if you're a "more is more" kind of person.

*This recipe originally ran stateside on HexClad.com.

1. Position a rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F/175°C.
2. In a small bowl, cover golden raisins with boiling water. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes; drain well.
3. Meanwhile, in a HexClad 10"/25 cm Hybrid Fry Pan, toast pecans over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer nuts to a cutting board and roughly chop.  
4. In a medium bowl, whisk flour with baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
5. In a large bowl and using a handheld electric mixer, beat brown sugar with eggs on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually stream in oil. Increase speed to medium-high and continue beating until mixture is pale and falls from beaters in thick ribbons, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a large spatula, fold in grated carrots, raisins, vanilla extract and orange zest. Wrap drained pineapple in a clean kitchen towel and twist to squeeze out any excess moisture. Fold into wet ingredients.
6. Fold in half of dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in the buttermilk until smooth, then fold in remaining dry ingredients until just combined. Gently fold in ¾ cup/86 grams of the chopped pecans, reserving remaining chopped pecans for garnish. Grease a Hybrid Square Cake Pan - 8” x 8” (20cm x 20 cm)with butter. Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Bake cake until top is set and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool completely, about 30 minutes. 
7. Make frosting and assemble. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add confectioner’s sugar, cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt and process until a thick, creamy frosting comes together, about 30 seconds.
8. Spoon frosting onto center of cooled cake and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle reserved chopped pecans on to cake. Cut cake into 9 squares and serve. 

MAKE AHEAD

The cake and frosting can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store cake at room temperature in the pan and covered with plastic wrap. Refrigerate frosting and bring to room temperature before using. Any leftover cake can be refrigerated for up to 7 days and should be brought to room temperature before serving.