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Carrot Cake Trifle


(16 votes, average: 3.88 out of 5)

  • Author: Trent
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: 10-12 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

For cake:

  • 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
  • Butter and flour for greasing pan
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
  • 3 cups grated carrots (about 5 or 6 medium carrots or 10 oz)

For whipped cream:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 cups very cold heavy cream

Instructions

For cake: 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  2. Spread 1 cup chopped pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. Watch closely toward the end as they will burn quickly. Remove baking sheet from oven and set aside to cool. 
  3. Butter and flour a 13 x 18 baking sheet 
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 cup light brown sugar until combined. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 4 large eggs whisking until smooth. 
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 2 teaspoons ground ginger.
  6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold in using a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in drained 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, 3 cups grated carrots, and pecans.
  7. Pour batter onto the greased and floured baking sheet and smooth top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. 
  8. Allow the cake to cool completely – approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

For whipped cream:

  1. When the cake is cool, add 8 ounces cream cheese and 4 ounces unsalted butter to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on high until fully combined and smooth, about 1 minute. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Turn off mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add 2 cups powdered sugar.
  2. Turner mixer on high and whip for 2 minutes until fluffy. Scrape down sides and then turn the mixer to low, slowly adding 2 cups very cold heavy cream until incorporated. Once smooth, turn up to medium-high speed and whip until soft peaks form. 

To Assemble:

  1. Use a sharp knife to divide the cake into 3 even sections. Break one section into approximately 1-inch pieces using your hands and place in the bottom of the trifle dish making one layer. You can press lightly to make layers even. Top the cake layer with ⅓ of the cream cheese whipped cream – you’ll use about 1½  cups per layer. Repeat steps until you have 3 layers each of cake and frosting. Optional: reserve about 1 cup of cake crumbs to sprinkle on top. 

Notes

MAKE AHEAD: This can be served immediately or made a day ahead of time. If making ahead, assemble the entire trifle, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to eat. I actually prefer the taste after it’s had a day to sit

STORAGE: The trifle will keep for 2-3 days, covered, in the refrigerator.

TRIFLE DISH: If you don’t have a trifle dish, this can be made in any similar capacity. The trifle dish I used measures 7.5 inches in diameter and is 5 inches deep with a capacity of approximately 120 ounces.

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cool time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 30 mintues
  • Category: Trifle

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