CARROT CAKE LIKE GRAMA USED TO MAKE
by Southfacin’ Cook, Patsy R. Brumfield
“I like carrot cake,” grandson James said absent-mindedly recently. OK, Nana goes into motion.
This cake is easy and it’s fun. Easy icing, and with a little food coloring, you can make it fun to look at too.
Give it a try.
CARROT CAKE
EQUIPMENT: 9-inch cake pan with 3-inch sides (I use springform), 2 mixing bowls, off-set spatula, 2 rubber spatulas, measuring equipment, sifter, whisk, wire rack, food processor and/or box grater, mixer, oil-flour cooking spray, parchment paper (marker, scissors). To make paper pan bottom liner: Place paper on the counter and trace a line around the outside of the pan. With scissors, cut just inside the trace line. Butter the bottom of your pan and smooth the paper into place.
INGREDIENTS
CAKE:
Unsalted butter (for pan bottom so parchment paper will lie down)
12 ounces (about 2 ½ cups) unbleached, all-purpose flour
12 ounces grated carrots (medium grate), about 6 medium
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
10 ounces sugar (about 1 1/3 cup)
2 ounces dark brown sugar (about ¼ cup firmly packed)
3 large eggs
6 ounces yogurt
6 ounces vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 ounces powdered sugar, sifted (about 2 cups)
LET’S GET STARTED
Preheat oven to 350
Butter pan bottom, affix round of parchment paper cut to match pan bottom dimensions. Spray entire inside of pan with cooking spray oil-flour type.
Wash carrots, grate them with your food processor or a box grater. Put them in a large bowl and set it aside.
Thoroughly whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt in other mixing bowl. Add this to carrots and toss until they are well coated with the flour.
In the bowl of your food processor, combine sugar, brown sugar, eggs and yogurt.
With the processor still running, drizzle vegetable oil. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into prepared cake pan and bake on the middle oven rack for 45 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 and bake another 20 minutes or until the cake reaches 205-210 degrees in the center.
Remove cake pan from oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and cool completely (may take a couple of hours). Using an off-set spatula, frost with cream cheese frosting after cake as cooled completely. * Using a bread knife, I slice the cake through around the equator, put top to the side and turn the bottom upside down to frost (so you’re not frosting across cake crumbs). Add top half and frost generously. If you want some fun, save ¼ cup frosting and add food coloring to make your favorite hue. Use it to add dribble accents on top and frost around the cake side.
FROSTING
In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment (mixing bowl, if you’re using a hand mixer), combine cream cheese and butter just until blended. Add vanilla and beat until combined.
With speed on low, add powdered sugar in 2-3 batches and beat until smooth between each addition.
Place frosting in refrigerator 5-10 minutes before using.
(If you’re not going to serve cake immediately, place it in the refrigerator to firm up. Remove 10 minutes before serving.)
To access all of Southfacin’ Cook, Patsy R. Brumfield’s recipes open FOOD SCENE on the www.porchscene.com menu and type in Southfacin’ Cook in the Search Bar.
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