This one is a dark horse. Everyone adds their own secret ingredients, claiming to have the best CARROT CAKE recipe. I’m not here to make any promises, but I dare you to bake my take on a carrot cake and decide for yourself. Regardless of all the varieties, she’s a real crowd pleaser!
INGREDIENTS
1 LARGE LAYERED CAKE/30 CUPCAKES CAKE 625ml cake flour 10ml baking powder 5ml bicarbonate of soda 5ml cinnamon 5ml mixed spice 2ml salt 10ml vanilla essence 250ml sugar 300ml sunflower oil 4 large eggs 500ml grated carrots 1-2 ripe banana, mashed 220g crushed pineapple, drained (small tin) 125ml pecan nuts, chopped 220g smooth apricot jam, melted CREAM CHEESE ICING 200g butter, room temperature 500g icing sugar 400g cream cheese 5ml vanilla essence
METHOD
CAKE 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 2. Prepare two round cake tins with baking paper and non-stick spray. 3. In a medium bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients, except the sugar. 4. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, whisk together the vanilla, sugar, oil and eggs until well combined. 5. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the egg mixture and whisk until just combined. 6. Fold in the rest of the ingredients. 7. Scrape the cake mixture into the prepared cake tins. 8. Bake in the middle of the oven for 35-45 minutes or until a cake tester/ wooden pick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake. Be careful not to over bake the cakes. 9. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before turning them out onto cooling racks. 10. Once the cakes are cooled, you can cut each layer through the middle to create a four layered carrot cake. Finish the cake off with the cream cheese icing on top of each layer of carrot cake. If you are not comfortable with cutting the cakes, you can settle for a two layered cake and use the extra icing to cover the sides of the cake. CREAM CHEESE ICING 1. In a medium bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer until light, fluffy and pale. This is the most time consuming step. 2. Add the icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until well combined. 3. Add the vanilla essence and cream cheese. Mix until just combined.
TIPS 1. If you don't have Mixed Spice, double the amount of cinnamon. You can also make your own by combining cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and coriander. This spice combination is a real game changer! 2. Don't be shy to add a bit of the pineapple syrup to your cake mixture. This will enhance the flavour and texture of the cake, although too much liquid will make the cake dense. 3. When turning the cakes out, allow them to cool "face down" to flatten the dome of the cake. This will make the layering of the cake easier and more stable. 4. I recommend the cakes to rest in the fridge for a few hours before cutting them into layers, to minimize crumbling. 5. The longer you whisk the butter for the icing, the lighter the texture of the icing will be at the end. Believe me, you want this icing to melt in your mouth! 6. To ensure an even ratio of cake and icing, and prevent the cake to appear skew, use a piping bag to pipe the icing onto each cake layer. 7. Finish your cake off with roasted nuts or fresh flowers.