Carrot-Honey Layer Cake

I was at Earthfare and bought the America's Test Kitchen Cooking Magazine. This recipe for carrot honey layer cake was on the front cover and looked so beautiful. The cake and frosting are sweetened by honey. Making this for an Easter party with one of my daughter's friends. Husband liked the cake. Very easy cake and frosting to make. Most time consuming part was grating the carrots. I thought that 4 carrots would not be enough, but that was just the right amount!

Here are some of the other carrot cakes I've tried: Allrecipes Carrot Cake and   and Asha Gomez' three spice carrot cake.

Carrot-Honey Layer Cake (~from America's Test Kitchen)

Carrot-Honey Layer Cake 

From America's Test Kitchen "Naturally Sweet." 

• 1 ¾  cups (8 ¾ ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon salt
•  1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup honey
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• 3  large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
•  2 2/3 cups shredded carrots (4 carrots)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment and flour the pans.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt together in one bowl. In another bowl, whisk honey, oil, eggs and vanilla together until smooth. Stir in carrots. Add flour mixture and fold with rubber spatula until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among pans and smooth tops. Bake until cakes are set and center is just firm to touch, 16 to 20 minutes. Rotate pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool 10 minutes and remove from pans.

Discard parchment and allow cakes to cool completely on a rack for one hour. Spread one cup frosting over first cake layer and add second cake layer, pressing evenly to adhere. Spread one cup frosting over top and remaining frosting over the sides.

Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

From "Naturally Sweet," America's Test Kitchen

makes 3 cups

• 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons honey

Using stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt on medium-high speed until smooth, one to two minutes. Reduce mixer speed to medium-low and whip frosting until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.