You can vary how finely you chop the nuts for the sponge and pecan nuts or walnuts can be substituted as you wish. For an extra special touch decorate the top with mini carrots. These can either be formed by hand using orange coloured royal icing, pipe orange butter cream or why not do it the James Martin way and caramelise your own carrots.
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| My Carrot cake, Hummingbird Bakery recipe |
Oven time: 25 mins
Total time: 45 mins
Cake Mixture Ingredients300g Soft Light Brown Sugar
3 Medium Eggs
300ml Sunflower Oil
300g Plain Flour
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon, plus extra to decorate
½ tsp Ground Ginger
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Vanilla Extract rather than essence
300g Carrots, grated, I finely grate half and coarsely grate the other half
100g Shelled Walnuts, chopped, plus extra, chopped and whole, to decorate
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
300g Icing Sugar, sifted
50g Unsalted Butter, at room temperature - make sure it's nice and soft and doesn't create lumps.
125g Cream Cheese, cold - it's important that it's fridge cold
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3.
2. Put the sugar, eggs and oil in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat until all the ingredients are well incorporated (don’t worry if the mixture looks slightly split). Slowly add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt and vanilla extract and continue to beat until well mixed.
3. Stir in the grated carrots and walnuts by hand until they are all evenly dispersed. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tins and smooth over with a palette knife. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown and the sponge bounces back when touched. Leave the cakes to cool slightly in the tins before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. While cooling make the Cream Cheese Frosting which should take c. 10 mins.
4. When the cakes are cold, put one on a cake stand and spread about one-quarter of the Cream Cheese Frosting over it with a palette knife. Place a second cake on top and spread another quarter of the frosting over it.
5. Top with the last cake and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Finish with walnuts and a light sprinkling of cinnamon or indeed your self made carrots!
Time saving tip
Base line three 20-cm cake tins with greaseproof paper.
You should follow me on twitter here.
300g Icing Sugar, sifted
50g Unsalted Butter, at room temperature - make sure it's nice and soft and doesn't create lumps.
125g Cream Cheese, cold - it's important that it's fridge cold
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3.
2. Put the sugar, eggs and oil in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat until all the ingredients are well incorporated (don’t worry if the mixture looks slightly split). Slowly add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt and vanilla extract and continue to beat until well mixed.
3. Stir in the grated carrots and walnuts by hand until they are all evenly dispersed. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tins and smooth over with a palette knife. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown and the sponge bounces back when touched. Leave the cakes to cool slightly in the tins before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. While cooling make the Cream Cheese Frosting which should take c. 10 mins.
4. When the cakes are cold, put one on a cake stand and spread about one-quarter of the Cream Cheese Frosting over it with a palette knife. Place a second cake on top and spread another quarter of the frosting over it.
5. Top with the last cake and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Finish with walnuts and a light sprinkling of cinnamon or indeed your self made carrots!
Base line three 20-cm cake tins with greaseproof paper.
You should follow me on twitter here.
There some amazing recipes in this book which I have yet to try!
