Erika Kwee's Spiced Carrot Cake with Candied Pecans and Caramel Sauce
Erika Kwee is one of our 2021 Cooks of the Year.
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Recipe Summary
Erika Kwee is here to help home cooks gain confidence in the kitchen. On her blog, The Pancake Princess, Kwee conducts bake-offs of some of the Internet's most popular recipes. With a data-driven approach to baking, Kwee has tested baked goods ranging from apple crisp to zucchini bread, gaining almost 50,000 Instagram followers along the way. "Baking multiple recipes isn't that much more work compared to making one, because you have to get out all those ingredients anyway," she says. "And the payoff is better." But luckily, thanks to Kwee's rigorous testing process, you don't have to bake a dozen versions of chocolate chip cookies to settle on the best—she's done all the hard work for you.
Kwee's recipe for Carrot Spice Cake with Candied Pecans and Brown Sugar Sauce considers every last detail. The cake layers themselves are fully loaded with grated carrots, toasted pecans, crushed pineapple, and shredded coconut. With a slight tang from the cream cheese, the frosting is perfectly balanced and spreadable; the candied pecans bring a generous dose of spice, complementing the spices baked into the cake layers.
To spread out the work, the pecans and caramel can be made a few days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container until ready to assemble the cake.