Ben Starr’s Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and Candied Pecans

This moist and delicious Pumpkin Carrot Cake combines two of the best cakes cakes into one. Filled with Fall spices and topped with cream cheese frosting it is perfect for Thanksgiving. 

 Pumpkin and carrot cake are two of the best cakes in my opinion. In fact it is hard to chose between the two to pick out my favorite. So when I came across this Pumpkin Carrot Cake recipe I couldn’t wait to make it. This cake is filled with all of the flavors of Fall and is perfect for all of your seasonal gatherings, especially Thanksgiving.

Move over pumpkin pie, there is a new dessert in town.  This cake has the flavor of carrot cake, combined with all of the spicy flavors of the holidays. The fluffy cream cheese frosting and the candied nuts make it over the top fabulous. Your guests will love it and if you are a fan of Gordon Ramsey and take stock in his opinion. He said it was the best cake he has ever eaten.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Eggs, white and yolks separated

Cream of tartar

Unsalted butter

White and brown sugar

All-purpose flour

Pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling

Vanilla Extract

Baking soda and baking powder

Seasonal spices including, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.

Grated carrots

How to Make Pumpkin Carrot Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare three 8” or 9” round layer cake pans by lightly greasing them with oil. Place a parchment paper round in the bottom of each and then lightly grease them as well.

Using the balloon whisk attachment, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar and white sugar, turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until you have stiff peaked meringue. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add unsalted butter. Beat the butter on medium speed for about 1 minute until it is smooth and light in color. Slowly add the white and brown sugar. Beat for about 4 minutes or until both sugars are fully incorporates and the mixture is light and fluffy. Make sure to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides.

Then add the egg yolks one at a time, making sure to incorporate each. Beat until mixture is thick and pale, about 3 minutes.

Add pumpkin puree and vanilla, beat on medium for 1 minute.

In a small bowl combine baking soda and baking powder, salt, flour and all of the spices. Whisk well, then sift.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix until just combined. Add the carrots and mix.

THEN, add 1/3 of the meringue mixture and gently fold in to the batter to lighten it. Add remaining meringue mixture and gently fold, do not stir or beat aggressively. Fold egg whites until you do not see any white in the mixture.

Pour mixture into prepared pans, smooth the tops. Then pick pans up about 6 inches off the counter and let them fall, this will break up any air bubbles.

Place cakes in a preheated 350 oven, and throw a few ice cube in the bottom. According to Ben this creates a little steam, which means flatter cakes. Immediately turn oven down to 325 and make for 30 minutes or until knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove cakes from oven and cool in the pan for 15-30 minutes, then take out of pan and cool completely on rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Pumpkin Carrot Cake Tips

• This recipe is not complicated but has many steps. Be sure to read through the recipe before you start. You can even watch Ben make the cake on Youtube. 
• Measure your ingredients carefully. Be sure to spoon and level your flour. Don’t dip your measuring cup into the flour, you may end up with too much flour. This makes the cake dry.
• Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Do not over mix the egg whites or they break and look curdled. This changes the texture of the cake.
• When adding the egg whites to the batter be sure to add 1/3 of the whites first and mix until incorporated. This lightens the batter. Then FOLD, the rest of the white into the batter. Do not stir.
• Evenly distribute the batter between the pans.
• Let the cakes cool completely before you frost.

Ben Starr’s Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and Candied Pecans

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This moist and delicious Pumpkin Carrot Cake combines two of the best cakes cakes into one. Filled with Fall spices and topped with cream cheese frosting it is perfect for Thanksgiving. 

• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 1 6 layer cake 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

FOR CAKE:

6 egg whites

1 cup of white sugar

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 sticks unsalted butter

1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 egg yolks

11/4 cups pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 Tablespoon ginger

1 Tablespoon  ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups grated carrots

Cream Cheese Frosting 

2 cup butter, softened

2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened

1–2 pounds of confectioners sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Garnish

Toasted or Candied Pecans

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare three 8” or 9” round layer cake pans by lightly greasing them with oil. Place a parchment paper round in the bottom of each and then lightly grease them as well. Set aside.

Cake

Using the balloon whisk attachment, in your stand mixer,  combine the egg whites, cream of tartar and white sugar, turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until you have stiff peak meringue. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add: 2 sticks unsalted butter, 1/2 cups white sugar,1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 egg yolks, 11/4 cups pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Beat the butter on medium speed for about 1 minute until it is smooth and light in color. Slowly add the white and brown sugars. Beat for about 4 minutes or until both sugars are fully incorporated and the mixture is light and fluffy. Make sure to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides periodically.

Then add the egg yolks one at a time, making sure to incorporate each. Beat until mixture is thick and pale, about 3 minutes.

Add pumpkin puree and vanilla, beat on medium speed for 1 minute.

In a separate bowl combine: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , 4 teaspoons baking powder,1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1 Tablespoon ginger, 1 Tablespoon  ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon salt.

Whisk all dry ingredients well, then sift. With the mixer on low, slowly add the mixture to the butter, sugar mixture. Mix until just combined. Add the carrots and mix for 1 minute.

THEN, add 1/3 of the meringue mixture and gently fold in to the batter to lighten it. Add remaining meringue mixture and gently fold, do not stir or beat aggressively. Fold egg whites until you do not see any white in the mixture.

Pour mixture into prepared pans, smooth the tops. Pick pans up about 6 inches off the counter and let them fall, this will break up any air bubbles.

Place cakes in a preheated 350 oven, and throw a few ice cube into the bottom of the oven. According to Ben this creates a little steam, which means flatter cakes. Immediately turn oven down to 325 and bake for 30 minutes or until knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove cakes from oven and cool in the pan for 15-30 minutes, then take out of pan and cool completely on rack.

Cool the cakes completely before frosting.

FROSTING

Combine butter and cream cheese in stand mixer, beat on medium until light and fluffy. Add confectioners sugar one cup at a time on low speed, then add vanilla. Beat on medium high until light and fluffy. You may need to add a little milk or cream to get it to the consistency that you like.

To assemble the cake, Ben recommends wrapping the cake layers in plastic wrap and then placing in the  freezer for 30 minutes, and then slicing them so they hold up better.

Slice each cake in half, place one layer on cake plate and frost with a layer of frosting, continue with another layer and then frosting, until each layer is frosted. Frost the cake liberally and then decorate with the chopped or candied nuts.

Notes

This recipe if from Ben Starr, it is no longer available on his website but you can watch him make the cake on Youtube.

Ben Starr uses candied hazelnuts on his cake. I prefer pecans. You can sue whatever kind of nuts you like or skip them. I recommend this 5 minute caramelized nut recipe from Carlsbad Cravings. 

• Author: Elizabeth
• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 30
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: American

How to Store Pumpkin Carrot Cake

Cake can be wrapped in plastic or in an air tight container and placed in the refrigerator. The cake can be frozen, BEFORE it is frosted. Wrapped the cooled cakes in plastic and freeze. When ready to assemble let cakes thaw, make frosting and enjoy.

If you don’t like to mix your flavors, try my carrot loaf cake or pumpkin cake with whipped cream cheese frosting. 

 Until Next Time

I hope that you enjoyed Ben Starr’s pumpkin carrot cake recipe. If you make it for the holidays let me know how you liked it.

Have a wonderful day, thank you for spending part of it with me.

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