Carrot cake…because carrots are in season and they are ‘healthyish’, aren’t they? Well, I think so. I discovered a gorgeous recipe on food52 which I continue to make with a few tweaks – namely upping the spices.
I made this for a party, frosted it with lemony cream cheese and decorated it with glazed carrot ribbons and mint that were part carrot, part candle. Sooooooooo so delicious, and a great way to use seasonal produce.
Nigeria’s 1st Seasonal Produce Calendar
Begin with some cake.
Frost.
Slather lemony cream cheese over the top, palette knife and all. I like to frost just the top and let it scallop wildly down the sides.
And then, I lay – very carefully, candles and ribbons of glazed carrots.
And top with the mint ‘wick’…
The result fills my heart with pleasure – I feel accomplished.
At the ‘party’, it sported a single candle.
Before I cut into wedges and served.
It was delicious. The cake is soft, spiced, warm…the cream is citrusy and fresh, sweet and cool. I love, love, love it. And I’ve began to build on its success – like in my Agbalumo Carrot cake.
I hope you enjoy the recipe. Do you have a favourite carrot cake? Please share xxx
- 1/4 cup butter
- 220gm cream cheese
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest & Juice of 1 lemon
- A pinch of salt (optional)
- 1 cup of granulated white sugar
- 1 - 2 carrots, peeled then sliced into ribbons
- Fresh mint leaves
- 2 cups carrots, shredded
- 1 cup plain flour
- ½ cup self-rising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Zest & juice of 1 orange or tangelo
- 6 tablespoons/ 3/8 cup vegetable oil
- 6 tablespoons/ 3/8 cup yogurt, plain
- 6 tablespoons/ 3/8 cup granulated white sugar
- 6 tablespoons/ 3/8 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- Cream butter and cream cheese
- Add icing sugar and mix well
- Finish with vanilla, lemon est and lemon juice - to taste. If using, add the salt now
- Refrigerate till ready to use
- In a pan, combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water and heat on medium to low heat
- Once the sugar dissolves, add the carrots. Stir to separate the ribbons
- Let cook till carrots glisten, about 3 - 5 minutes
- remove from the heat
- Remove the ribbons on to plate and let cool for decoration
- Grease and flour a 9" cake pan.
- In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients - flours, baking powder, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and salt. Add carrots and orange zest and toss to coat.
- Combine the wet ingredients - yogurt, oil, orange and tangelo juice. Whisk till well combined
- In a bowl – with a mixer & paddle attachment or a whisk, beat sugar and eggs until light yellow and frothy. Add vanilla extract.
- Into the egg mixture, fold in flour mixture alternating with yogurt - oil mixture in 2/3 additions. I start and end with the flour mixture like this: flour mix - yogurt oil mix - flour mix - yogurt oil mix-flour mix.
- Fold in/ stir until just combined
- Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Pour batter evenly into the pan and bake in the centre of the oven until golden, about 50-60 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting and decorate with glazed carrots
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