Best Ever Carrot Cake with Bourbon Buttermilk Caramel Sauce and Candied Bourbon Pecans

Name: Best Ever Carrot Cake with Bourbon Buttermilk Caramel Sauce and Candied Bourbon Pecans
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Bourbon; 3 tbsp (42 g) Unsalted butter (for pecans); 0.75 cup (149 g) Granulated sugar (for pecans); 0.25 cup (53 g) Light brown sugar (packed, for pecans); 1.5 tsp Ground cinnamon (for pecans); 0.25 tsp Ground ginger (for pecans); 0.125 tsp Ground nutmeg (for pecans); 0.25 tsp Salt (for pecans); 1 large Egg white (for pecans); 4 cups Powdered sugar (for frosting); 2 tsp Vanilla extract (for pecans); 1 lb Pecan halves; 4 tbsp Unsalted butter (for caramel); 1 cup Granulated sugar (for caramel); 1 cup Buttermilk (divided, for caramel); 1 tbsp Light corn syrup (for caramel); pinch Salt (for caramel); 1 tsp Vanilla extract (for caramel); 1.5 cups Vegetable oil; 2 tsp Baking powder; 1.5 tsp Baking soda; 1.5 tsp Salt; 2 tsp Ground cinnamon; 1 tsp Ground nutmeg; 2 cups Granulated sugar; 2 tsp Vanilla bean paste; 1 tsp Mexican vanilla; 2 cups All-purpose flour; 4 Eggs; 2 cups Chopped carrots

Kathryn B @kbonesbrueg

My husbands sick and I wanted to make him feel better. Easter is tomorrow, so carrot cake it is! He said it’s better than Trulucks’s carrot cake. 😍

Kathryn B @kbonesbrueg

My husbands sick and I wanted to make him feel better. Easter is tomorrow, so carrot cake it is! He said it’s better than Trulucks’s carrot cake. 😍

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Ingredients

12 servings

2 tbspBourbon
3 tbsp (42 g)Unsalted butter (for pecans)
0.75 cup (149 g)Granulated sugar (for pecans)
0.25 cup (53 g)Light brown sugar (packed, for pecans)
1.5 tspGround cinnamon (for pecans)
0.25 tspGround ginger (for pecans)
0.125 tspGround nutmeg (for pecans)
0.25 tspSalt (for pecans)
1large Egg white (for pecans)
4 cupsPowdered sugar (for frosting)
2 tspVanilla extract (for pecans)
1 lbPecan halves
4 tbspUnsalted butter (for caramel)
1 cupGranulated sugar (for caramel)
1 cupButtermilk (divided, for caramel)
1 tbspLight corn syrup (for caramel)
pinchSalt (for caramel)
1 tspVanilla extract (for caramel)
1.5 cupsVegetable oil
2 tspBaking powder
1.5 tspBaking soda
1.5 tspSalt
2 tspGround cinnamon
1 tspGround nutmeg
2 cupsGranulated sugar
2 tspVanilla bean paste
1 tspMexican vanilla
2 cupsAll-purpose flour
4Eggs
2 cupsChopped carrots
1 can(about 8 oz) Crushed pineapple (drained)
0.5 cupChopped pecans
0.5 cupFlaked coconut
1 stick(about 113g) Unsalted butter (for frosting)
24 ozCream cheese (for frosting)
1.5 tspVanilla extract (for frosting)

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Steps

1

For the cake: Mix dry ingredients. Add sugar, oil, eggs. Fold in carrots, pineapple, pecans, coconut. Bake at 350°F for 30–35 min in greased pans.
2

For the frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla, then powdered sugar gradually.
3

For candied pecans: Preheat oven to 300°F. Melt butter on baking sheet. Lower oven to 250°F. Whisk egg white, bourbon, vanilla until frothy. Toss pecans, then sugar-spice mix. Spread on sheet, bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 min. Cool.
4

For caramel sauce: Melt butter in saucepan. Add sugar, whisk. Add 2/3 cup buttermilk, corn syrup, salt. Boil, cook until deep amber (about 10 min). Off heat, add remaining buttermilk and vanilla, whisk until smooth. Simmer 3–5 min more until slightly thickened. Cool 5 min before serving.
5

Put cakes in the fridge for 30 minutes. Icing the layers and stack. Thin layer of frosting on the outside. Put it in freezer for 15-30 minutes and do another thick layer of frosting.
6

Put pecans on top, cut, drizzle sauce before serving

Tips

For the caramel sauce, add buttermilk in two stages for a smoother texture. Stir the pecans every 15 minutes while baking for even coating and crunch.

Chill before stacking and icing the cakes. Makes it easier. Add ½–¾ inch cream cheese frosting between layers. Keep edges slightly overfilled (you’ll smooth later)

Apply a thin frosting layer all over, chill 20 minutes in the freezer then apply final thick coat.

Put the caramel sauce on when you’re about to serve.

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