sweet delights

carrot cake w/ cream cheese frosting

I remember my very 1st true carrot cake: it was during a USA holiday trip many years ago somewhere in Northern California in a small diner – rather late in the evening – when it turned out that only carrot cake was left for dessert. It wasn’t a simple cake it was a 3-layer structure w/ lots of frosting & minced walnuts … it was just delicious!

To set the record straight from the beginning:
This post does not exemplify how to create a 3-layer cake w/ lots of decorations!

We’re baking a 1-layer cake w/ lots of creamy frosting!

… & there are these little marzipan carrots!

Let’s start!

What do we need for the cake?

It’s basically:

  • flour
  • carrots
  • sugar
  • vanilla
  • eggs
  • sour cream
  • butter
  • spices.

We start by oiling/buttering a springform & adding fine breadcrumbs covering bottom & edge – after having started the oven (preheating to 160° C fan).

Then we shred the carrots – roughly!

… & concerning the spices we are dealing w/ ground …

  • cinnamon
  • mace
  • cloves
  • coriander
  • ginger.

We activates our electric handheld mixer for combining butter & sugar – later adding the eggs. Then there are the spices & the flour … & the sour cream …

Finally we fold in the shredded carrots.

All marches in the waiting springform …

… & the springform marches in the preheated oven for about 35-40 min.

The result is a fine golden cake!

While the cake cools down we prepare the cream cheese frosting.

We need:

  • icing sugar
  • butter
  • cream cheese
  • an organic lemon.

We grate the lemon zest & press the lemon juice as well as counting the little marzipan carrots.

We start w/ combining cream cheese & soft butter (remember to let the butter rest at room temperature for some time!). Icing sugar, lemon zest & lemon juice are added. Finally we get a rather soft cream.

We transfer the carrot cake to its final plate & start spreading the frosting. It’s soft: there will be drops running down the edge! (Doesn’t matter – it’s coming down at the edge, but it’s ok: it’ll stop soon enough – you’ll get a very soft & creamy frosting!)

Just add the little marzipan carrots & store the cake in the fridge!

The  carrot cake is moist & full of tiny carrot pieces… cake & frosting melt into each other…

Where’s the coffee?

Enjoy!

carrot cake w/ cream cheese frosting
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Servings: 12 – 16 pieces
ingredients:
for the cake:
  • 150 g flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 175 g roughly minced carrots
  • 150 g sugar
  • 1 packet vanilla sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 100 g sour cream
  • 75 g butter
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground mace
  • 1/4 tsp ground clove
  • 1/4 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
for the frosting:
  • 200 g cream cheese
  • 100 g butter
  • 100 gr icing sugar
  • a pinch of salt
  • zest of an organic lemon
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 12-16 marzipan carrots – optional
equipment:
  • 25 cm springform
  • electric handheld mixer
  • egg whip
how to:
  • Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C fan.
  • Butter/oil the springform & cover bottom & edges w/ fine breadcrumbs
  • Shred the carrots.
  • Mix flour & baking powder.
  • Combine butter & sugar (incl. vanilla sugar) & salt w/ the handheld mixer.
  • Add eggs.
  • Add spices.
  • Add flour.
  • Add sour cream.
  • Fold in the shredded carrots w/ a tablespoon.
  • Pour the dough in the prepared springform & put it in the preheated oven for about 35-40 min.
  • Make the test w/ the wooden skewer – you know…
  • Let the carrot cake cool down. After about 5 min remove the edge of the springform.
  • When the cake is at room temperature transfer the cake from the bottom of the springform to its final plate.
  • For the frosting mix butter (best at room temperature!), cream cheese, salt, lemon zest, icing sugar & lemon juice – in this order – w/ an egg whip until smooth.
  • Add frosting to the cake.
  • Optional: decorate w/ marzipan carrots.
Notes
Prep Time: It’s the preparation of the cake as well as the frosting.
Cook Time: Add another 5 min in the oven if necessary.
Spices: You may discard some of the spices, however, the basis is always cinnamon.
You may add lemon and/or orange flavor to the carrot cake.
The frosting is rather soft; I recommend to store the cake in the fridge – at least for some hours after assembling.
The cake is fine for 4-5 days; sorry: no experience w/ freezing.