Morton's The Steakhouse Carrot Cake

By á-2491

Delicious, moist carrot cake recipe straight out of the kitchen of one of the country's most famous steakhouses. Sshhhhh.....

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups AP flour
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 2 cups carrots, peeled, finely grated
• 1 1/3 cup loosely packed shredded sweetened coconut
• 2 cups finely chopped walnuts (optional)
• Buttermilk Glaze:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• Frosting:
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon orange juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (optional)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

Cake:
Preheat oven to 350. Generously gutter and flour 2 - 9" or 3 - 8" pans.
In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
In a large bowl (or stand mixer) whisk the oil, butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time until well blended. Add the vanilla and buttermilk and beat until blended.

Stir half the flour mixture into the batter. Add the pineapple, carrots, coconut and 1 cup of the walnuts. Mix well with spatula. Add the remaining flour and fold with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for about 40 minutes or until sides of cake pull away from the pan and a toothpick comes out clean.

Glaze:
In a small saucepan, mix sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup and baking soda until well blended. Set the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring until heated and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Set aside and keep warm.

Remove the cakes from the oven and cool in the pans on a wire rack. Using a toothpick, poke about 20 holes in the top crust of each cake (don't go more than halfway through).
Whisk glaze and pour evenly over the cake layers. Let the cakes cool completely, then cover them with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2-8 hours.

Frosting:
In a stand mixer with paddle attachment on, beat butter and cream cheese for about minutes or until fluffy. Add the sugar, juice, zest and vanilla. Mix on low until the sugar is mixed then increase to medium and beat for about a minute or until frosting is smooth.

Assembly:
Remove the cakes from the fridge and invert one on your cake surface glazed side down. Put about 1/3 of the frosting on the center of the cake layer and spread. Place the other layer on top of the frosted layer, glazed side down and frost.

Decorate with remaining nuts if you like.