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Ben Starr: chef, traveler, writer, beer brewer, DIY warrior, and ultimate food geek

Ben Starrs Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

and Candied Hazelnuts
Posted on February 5, 2012 | 25 Comments

**Please note, instructions for making this into cupcakes are located at the bottom of the cake
section of the recipe.
This is the cake that I get demands for every October at my annual Fall Dinner Party, where I serve a 5
course meal with each course based on pumpkin. Regardless of what unique, delicious pumpkin
dessert I have planned, people always email and call ahead to ask if Im doing my Pumpkin Carrot
Cake. I cant let them down.
This is also the cake that Gordon Ramsay loved on MasterChef, and that Graham Elliot said gave his
mouth an orgasm.
This is one of the most delicious cakes youll ever eat. It has a definite carrot cake flavor, but its a lot
more moist and spicy. The candied nuts on top add a delicious crunch and extra dimension of flavor.
First, a video tutorial showing the procedure for baking this cake, step-by-step, with common pitfalls
for new bakers to avoid. This is a VERY detailed video, and consequentlyits an hour long. Feel free
to skip to the recipe below if youre an experienced baker!

I normally make this as a 3 layer cake using 9 cake pans. On MasterChef I sliced each layer in half,
resulting in a 6 layer cake. (To better facilitate the slicing, freeze the cake rounds for 30 minutes to

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stiffen them up, then carefully rotate the cake as you slice back and forth with a long bread knife. A
lazy Susan helps, but isnt necessary.)
***A new breakthrough occurred in this cakes evolution on December 22, 2011. Following a method
for meringue used by my friends in Perth, Australia, I STARTED with the meringue firstsomething I
dont normally do. This step makes the cake much easier for beginners, as it virtually ensures you
cant over-beat your whites. I recommend modifying the recipe by taking this step for now, and when
I can remake the video, I will permanently alter the recipe. To begin, take 6-9 egg whites (I use 9) and
put them in the mixer bowl along with 1 cup of white sugar and 1 teaspoon cream of tartar. Turn the
mixer on high and in 2-3 minutes youll have stiff peaked meringue. It is VERY hard to overbeat this
meringue. Stop when the whites start to ruffle up around the whisk, then test by pulling the whisk up
through the whites. If the peak that remains on the whisk or in the bowl is firm and doesnt sink over,
youre ready. If the peak is soft and wilts then beat it a bit longer until the peak remains stiff. Then
remove the meringue to a bowl, and the bowl can immediately be used to proceed with the cake batter
without washing it. Just switch to the paddle attachment, add the butter, the remaining 1/2 cup white
sugar, and the 1/2 cup brown sugar and proceed
2 sticks unsalted butter (8 ounces, 227 grams), softened (do NOT use margarine)
Whip until the butter is light and creamy. Then add:
1 cups sugar (10 1/2 ounces, 308 grams)
cup brown sugar (4 ounces, 97 grams)
Cream the butter and sugars together until they are light and fluffy, at least 3 minutes, preferably 5.
Then add:
3 large egg yolks
Blend on medium speed for 3 more minutes. Then add:
1 cups pumpkin puree (319 grams, canned pumpkin is okay, or microwave sweet potatoes or
butternut squash in season, and puree)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Blend on medium speed for 3 more minutes. You should have a thick, airy, lightly-colored batter.
Then fold in:
2 cups grated carrots (302 grams)
In a separate bowl, combine:
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour (I use 8 oz AP flour and 4.5 oz cake flour, or 227
grams AP and 127 grams cake)
4 teaspoons (16 grams) baking powder
1 teaspoon (6 grams) baking soda
2 Tablespoons (6 grams) ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon (4 grams) ginger
1 Tablespoon (4 grams) ground cardamom
1/4 tsp each (heavy pinch) nutmeg, allspice, cloves
1 teaspoon (3 grams) salt
(To kick this recipe up a notch, lightly toast your spices in a skillet over medium heat for a few seconds
to bloom the flavor, then add to the flour.)
Stir around with your fingers until theyre well mixed. Then sift at least twice through a sifter or

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strainer. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on slowest speed until combined.
In a separate bowl, (or THOROUGHLY wash your mixer bowl to remove all traces of fat) beat:
6 egg whites (or, for extra lift, up to 9 whites)
1/2 tsp (2.4 grams) cream of tartar (optional, but recommended, add when whites begin to get
foamy)
2 Tablespoons (8 grams) white sugar (add gradually when whites are going through soft peak
stage)
To stiff peaks. Start out on high speed, and as the whites begin to change color from foamy yellow to a
whiter color, add the cream of tartar, lower the speed to medium low and whip VERY slowly, adding
the maximum amount of air without damaging the protein structure of the whites. Slowly incorporate
2 Tablespoons of white sugar, a bit at a time. Once you have reached stiff peaks, stop immediately.
(Its better to be just shy of still peaks than past stiff peaks where the white separate into curds when
you scoop them.) Stir 1/3 of the whites into the batter to lighten the batter. Gently fold the remaining
2/3 into the cake batter until you cant see any clumps of white left.
Divide it equally into parchment-lined, greased and floured cake pans. (I spray my cake pans with
canola oil, add a round of parchment or wax paper, spray again, and then liberally flour them, shake
the flour around, and dump it out.) Optionally, spray top of batter evenly with water to slow the rising
process, resulting in flatter cakes.
Place cakes in a preheated 350F oven, and toss a handful of ice cubes in the bottom of the oven. This
creates steam which again results in flatter cakes. Immediately reduce the heat to 325F and bake for
30 minutes (or 50 minutes for deep 6 rounds) or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake
comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and cool in the pans for 15-30 minutes. Then dump upside down (gently!) onto
a cooling rack to cool completely.
I like to chill my cakes before I frost them. They hold up better. 45 minutes in the freezer is usually
perfect, but make sure the cake is fully cool before putting it in your freezer or you may thaw out other
things in the freezer. While the cake is cooling, make up the frosting and the candied nuts.
***FOR CUPCAKES***
This recipe makes beautiful cupcakes. Add an additional teaspoon of baking powder, fill cupcake cups
almost to the top with batter, and bake in a 375F oven for 15-20 minutes until they test done. (Dont
spray water or add ice to the oven. These techniques encourage a flatter top, and cupcakes typically
have a more rounded top.)
FROSTING:
***Please note this makes enough frosting for a 6 layer cake. You can halve the recipe if you are only
making 2 or 3 layers.***
2 packages (16 ounces, 454 grams) cream cheese (or mascarpone, or lebni/labneha Middle
Eastern kefir yogurt cheese)
2 sticks butter (8 ounces, 227 grams), softened
Cream together cheese and butter with a hand or stand mixer on high speed until its light and fluffy.
Then slowly begin to add:
1-2 pounds confectioners sugar (powdered sugar) (454-907 grams) depending on how
sweet and stiff you like the frosting

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Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly. I like to start with low speed right after Ive added sugar to
keep it from flying everywhere, then increase the speed as it gets incorporated. Continue adding sugar
in small batches and mixing thoroughly until the frosting reaches the desired sweetness level. The
more sugar you add, the stiffer the frosting will be. Loose frosting is easier to work with. Stiff frosting
holds the cake together better. Then add:
2 teaspoons vanilla
Beat on slow speed until the vanilla begins to get mixed in, then beat on the highest speed possible for
2 minutes to ensure a light and fluffy frosting.
Frost the cake liberally. Dont worry too much about crumbs getting into the frosting, because youre
going to press candied nuts into the frosting anyway, so its not critical to have a perfectly clean
frosting job.
CANDIED NUTS
Spread out a piece of parchment/waxed paper or foil onto a countertop and butter it or spray it lightly
with canola oil. (Or use a silicone pad, which is the preferable method. No matter how well you butter
your paper or foil, SOME of it will stick to the bottom of your candy and youll have to scrape it off with
your fingernail.)
Into a very heavy skillet, put:
cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
teaspoon cloves
teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon water
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. Once the mixture is at a full rolling
boil, continue stirring and boiling for 3 minutes until the mixture is deep brown and fragrant. (If you
have a candy thermometer, youre shooting for 325F) Then add:
cup chopped nuts (I like to use hazelnuts when I can find them, pecans if I cant. Your
flavor will be better if youll gently toast the nuts in a skillet over medium heat, tossing frequently,
until they are fragrant and have deepened a bit in color. You can also toast in the microwave using 1
minute intervals on full power, until nuts are lightly browned and fragrant.)
Stir the nuts into the boiling sugar, making sure they are well-coated. Then remove the pan from the
heat and pour the nuts onto the oiled wax paper. Let them cool completely before the next step.
Pull the candied nuts off the paper and place them in a zip-top bag. Pound them with a rolling pin or
wine bottle to break them up, then roll over them back and forth until they are well pulverized, but not
powdered.
After youve frosted the cake, sprinkle the nuts on top. Then place some in your palm and press them
up against the sides of the cake. (Its messy, but it works.) Continue around the cake until the sides are
coated with nuts.
This cake tastes best at room temperature, and it does disappear fast, but if youve got a small crowd
eating, youll want to refrigerate it after serving. Then let it sit on the countertop for an hour before
serving again.

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This entry was posted in Desserts, Recipes, Vegetarian and tagged Ben Starr, cake, Gordon Ramsay,
MasterChef, pumpkin, vegetarian. Bookmark the permalink.

25 RESPONSES TO BEN STARRS PUMPKIN CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE

FROSTING AND CANDIED HAZELNUTS

Lucy | July 10, 2012 at 11:21 am | Reply

This is your legendary-est recipe.

Ben | July 10, 2012 at 4:58 pm | Reply

Yes it is, Luzy! If you make it, send me a photo of you with the cake!!!

Lauren | July 11, 2012 at 2:55 am | Reply

This cake is amazingly epic I made it for my Omas 80th birthday. Thank you so much for
posting the recipe!

Ben | July 11, 2012 at 9:52 pm | Reply

Lauren, what an honor that you made this for your Omas 80th! I hope she enjoyed it. If
you have any pictures, please email them to me at ben at benstarrdotcom

Sam | July 22, 2012 at 2:08 pm | Reply

Made this cake today for my fiancees birthday. It was a big hit. Surprisingly light
consistency. And the candied hazelnuts were out of this world. The salt really brings out the
explosive flavor. I only made 4 layers since I had only 8 cake pans so any more layers
would have just been too high. Thanks Ben for all the tips in the video. really learned a lot.

Ben | July 23, 2012 at 2:56 pm | Reply

Sam, Im so glad it turned out well! (Coincidentally, I am baking the cake today, too.) I
spent years working on that texture, taking it from the dense wet carrot cake (which IS
yummy, but not in 6 layers!) so Im glad you enjoyed it. Happy Birthday to your fiancee!

Sam | August 5, 2012 at 12:19 am | Reply

I made the cake again, this time turning 1/3 of it into cupcakes and it was another huge
success. I am always surprised when i bite into it at its lightness and bursting flavor. In
addition, as technical as it is, it isnt really so hard to make. BTW, Ben are you Jewish? I am
and when I watched MasterChef, my JewDar went up. Since I saw you have a website, I
figured I would ask.

Ben | August 6, 2012 at 7:45 pm | Reply

Hi, Sam! Im not Jewish, though most people think I am. Which is an honor!

Brian | August 5, 2012 at 6:35 am | Reply

Ben can you make these into cupcakes?

Ben | August 6, 2012 at 7:44 pm | Reply

Brian, these make fantastic cupcakes. Up the baking temp to 375F and bake them for
about 16 minutes before testing.

Roberta Fracalossi | August 10, 2012 at 2:51 pm | Reply

My name is Roberta,Im from Brasil, and I just love you way to cook and love your

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personality (sorry about my terrible english) The masterchef season 2 dont finish here
yet, but I wish sooooooooooooo much that you win!! Because you are, I have absolutly
shore about that, the best cook AND person of the show!! Thanks for everything!!

Ben | August 12, 2012 at 1:22 pm | Reply

Bom dia, Roberta! BRIGADO! My boyfriend is from Sao Paulo and we have many dear
friends there and try to visit once a year. I adore Brasil, it is one of my favorite places on
earth. BEIJOS!

Sharon | August 23, 2012 at 11:15 am | Reply

Hi Ben! I have a question regarding the carrot-pumpking cake recipe. You say do not use
margarine. And you say it quite emphatically. I am wondering why it cannot be substituted
for butter, other than for taste reasons. I want to make this cake but cannot use any dairy
ingredients. While taste might suffer, is there any other reason that margarine cant be
used? Thanks and keep up your great work!!

Ben | September 3, 2012 at 12:43 pm | Reply

Hi, Sharon! I am adamantly against the use of virtually all industrial food products.
Margarine is vegetable fat that is altered at the molecular level to be solid and behave
like butter, with synthetic esters added to make it taste vaguely like butter. While the
jury is still out about how bad for us these hydrogenated fats truly are (in a decade well
know a lot more), I choose not to put things in my body that my body that do not exist in
nature, and that my body doesnt know how to deal with.
If you are lactose intolerant, I would suggest you try using cultured butter (or
European-style butter) which has been pre-digested by healthy bacteria. Many people
who are lactose intolerant are able to consume products like yogurt, buttermilk, and
cultured butter because they are significantly altered by the bacterial culture. If that
doesnt work, I would suggest you attempt to locate RAW milk products, either by
finding a local dairy farmer on Craigslist or Localharvest.org, or looking in a local
gourmet market. Milk contains enzymes that help your body digest it. The pasteurization
process kills these enzymes. I am somewhat lactose intolerant, but I can drink a whole
gallon of raw cows milk with ZERO negative effects. So raw butter will still contain the
natural enzymes that help your body digest it.
Failing these options, please make sure you are buying margarine that contains NO trans
fats. On the label, avoid anything partially hydrogenated and only buy margarine that is
fully hydrogenated. Emerging research shows that trans fats (or partially hydrogenated
fats) are very, very bad for us.

Sharon | September 9, 2012 at 12:19 pm | Reply

Thanks for your response regarding the margarine. If I cannot use ANY dairy ingredients,
regardless of what they may be, could I substitute oil for part or all of the butter? Would the
quality of the cake suffer? Thanks!

Ben | September 11, 2012 at 9:52 pm | Reply

The texture and taste of the cake will definitely suffer if you substitute oilhowever, it
will be more like the texture of traditional carrot cakemore dense, moist, and chewy. It
will still taste good, but it may be hard to stack 6 layers and to slice.

Roy'l | September 11, 2012 at 9:40 am | Reply

I made this cake yesterday, (in honor of the Masterchef season finale) and it was
wonderful! I wish that someone would have told me years ago to freeze a cake to cut it into
layers and to put on the frosting. The cake looked beautiful. My husband and I do not like

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nuts in our food, but out of respect for your receipe I made candied pecans. We both really
liked the pecans on the cake and thought that they added texture and extra yumminess to
the cake. Thank you so much!

Ben | September 11, 2012 at 9:51 pm | Reply

Im so glad you liked the cake! To be honest, I dont normally put nuts in my food
(unless Im making Thai food, in which case I love adding cashews), and I NEVER put
nuts in my cookies or breads or anything like that. But with this particular cake, you
gotta have em! So glad you agree. *hugs*

Lenka | September 13, 2012 at 4:43 pm | Reply

I live in the Czech Republic and love Masterchef and especially love your pumpkin carrot
cake! Wow, the moment Gordon sliced it- I was really amazed and decided to try it
I hope to get all the ingredients because sometimes it is difficult (for example, there is
nothing like cream cheese, cardamon is not used at all)..
Thanks for this receipe!!

Candy | September 18, 2012 at 10:09 pm | Reply

Hey Ben!
I love that you posted this recipe! I have a problem though, with the Pumpkin
Puree. You see, here in our country (Philippines), we dont have pumpkin, we have what we
call Kalabasa though, which is fairly abundant in our farmers markets. Can I use this?
and how do I puree it? Thank You so much ben!! Youre my favorite! Id really like to try
this recipe out!
Cheers and good luck to all your future plans!

Ben | September 19, 2012 at 11:46 am | Reply

Candy, Kalabasa is pumpkin, and it will work perfectly in this recipe. Prepare it the same
way you prepare a pumpkin puree. Cut the kalabasa in half, place each half in a baking
sheet, and bake in the oven at 350F/170C until it is very soft. You should be able to push
gently on it with a spoon and it will collapse on itself. Let it cool fully, then puree it until
it is smooth. I usually scrape the puree out onto a bath towel and fold the towel over and
press it gently on top of the puree. This extracts excess water. Dont try to scrape the
puree off the towel, simply pick up the towel and hold it over a bowl and shake it, and the
puree will fall into the bowl. You can watch this on my pumpkin pie video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hznw9kziWq8

Marta Torres | September 19, 2012 at 3:08 pm | Reply

You KNEW and you were right. Yesterday I saw in my country (Portugal) the episode where
you baked your cake. Of course the first thing I did was looking for the recipe. It looks so
yummy and to die for!
I had planned to bake a carrot cake this coming weekend which I still intend because it is
my favorite carrot cake ever (my daughters recipe, she is a pastry chef in N.Y.) but next
week your cake will the the next for sure. Thanks for sharing the recipe and will let you
know how did it go. Many thanks and all the best.

Alex Watanabe | September 29, 2012 at 10:06 am | Reply

Hi, I just watched the masterchef episode where you baked this and cannot stop thinking
about it! I desperately want to eat this cake!!! Everything about it is perfect, most of all your
passion, positivity and enthusiasm. I am going to attempt this for my October cooking
challenge (which I just created this instant, inspired by you).

Ben | September 30, 2012 at 5:47 pm | Reply

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Awesome, Alex! When you bake the cake, please take a pic of you with it, and email it to
me! ben at benstarr d0t c0m. Lots of fans have sent me pics, Im going to put up a collage
on the site!

Judith Forsthe | October 1, 2012 at 8:46 am | Reply

So tasty! I have to make it all the time(on my birthday)
great job, it is so delicious!
btw. i saw you in masterchef (i know you from this competition and i liked you, so i had to
cook this amazing cake!)

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