Tuesday, April 22, 2008

CARROT CAKE A LA DORIE

This is a very nice carrot cake recipe. I sure liked all the cinnamon. I also like how the oil gave it kind of a "crusty" appearance on the outside. Great taste. I did tweak the frosting a little. I usually have a ton of lemons in the refrigerator but unfortunately did not have any this time. I did however have oranges and I thought well hey carrots and orange juice go together, why not use an orange. It was definitely a twist on carrot cake!



Well it was a lot of fun making those cute marzipan carrots. I have never done anything like that before. I have seen so many pics of cute marzipan charactors and flowers, etc., I just had to try it!


This cake was just begging for color.


Bill's Big Carrot Cake

Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Yields 10 servings

Ingredients:

For the cake:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon salt

3 cups grated carrots (about 9 carrots, you can grate them in food processor fitted w/ a shredding a blade or use a box grater)

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

½ cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden) or dried cranberries

2 cups sugar

1 cup canola oil

4 large eggs

For the frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick ( 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 pound or 3 and ¾ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

½ cup shredded coconut (optional)

Finely chopped toasted nuts and/or toasted shredded coconut (optional)


Getting ready:

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter three 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, flour the insides, and tap out the excess. Put the two pans on one baking sheet and one on another.


To make the cake:

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut, and raisins.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil together on a medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Gently mix the chunky ingredients. Divide the batter among the baking pans.


Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until a thin knife inserted into the centers comes out clean. The cakes will have just started to come away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes and unmold them. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.


The cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.


To make the frosting:

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the lemon juice or extract.

If you'd like coconut in the filling, scoop about half of the frosting and stir the coconut into this position.


To assemble the cake:

Put one layer top side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. If you added the coconut to the frosting, use half of the coconut frosting to generously cover the first layer (or generously cover with plain frosting). Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake stop side down, and frost with the remainder of the coconut frosting or plain frosting. Top with the last layer, right side up, and frost the top- and the sides- of the cake. Finish the top with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle them on now while the frosting is soft.


Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, just to set the frosting before serving.

Serving:


This cake can be served as soon as the frosting is set. It can also wait, at room temperature and covered with a cake keeper overnight. The cake is best served in thick slices at room temperature and while it's good plain, it's even better with vanilla ice cream or some lemon curd.


Storing:

The cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can also be frozen. Freeze it uncovered, then when it's firm, wrap airtight and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost, still wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator.

31 comments:

Rebecca of "Ezra Pound Cake" said...

So cute! The marzipan carrots were a great touch.

Rebecca
http://www.ezrapoundcake.com

Shelly said...

Yummm...I loooove carrot cake. More gardening for cake trades I see. You might just have to move out west!

Sihan said...

the marzipan carrots made me smile yeh. it sure goes a long way in uplifting the whole appearance of the cake.

Well done! i'm sure it was pretty tasty too!

Jayne said...

Excellent! That cake looks great!

CB said...

Beautiful cake! Love the marzipan carrots. Your first time? I am SO impressed! Great job!
Clara @ I♥food4thought

Mari said...

I love your marzipan carrots! I've never worked with marzipan, but you've inspired me!

Marie Rayner said...

I love your carrots. Well done! Fabulous job on the cake!

Anonymous said...

Pretty cake. I had just been looking at my photos and thinking they weren't very colorful. Then I came to your blog and you hit the nail on head. Needs more color! Yours looks beautiful.

Hygeian Stew said...

I've never used marzipan, but your tiny carrots are cute enough to motivate me! Maybe next time.

Mary said...

nice job with the marzipan....I've never used it either. the cake looks great!

Annemarie said...

Wow! Beautiful cake!

kimberly salem said...

beautiful job on the cake! the carrots are so cute.

BAKE-EN said...

I love your marizpan carrot idea. They looked adorable.

Heather B said...

Cute! I love the marzipan carrots! Great job!

Engineer Baker said...

Adorable marzipan carrots - you're right, the cake did call out for color. Great job!

LyB said...

I've never worked with marzipan but if I ever try it and my first carrots turn out looking as cute as yours, I'll be happy! Your cake looks beautiful! :)

mimi said...

love the walnuts and carrots on top! makes it such a beautiful cake!

Melissa said...

Very cute!

Sherry Trifle - Lovely Cats said...

Really pretty cake. I just love the carrot decorations.

Chris said...

Fun presentation!

KN said...

I can't even hope to ever decorate a cake so beautiful! It looks fantastic. Congrats!!

Bumblebutton said...

Your cake is beautiful, and I envy those carrots!

Shari said...

Those marzipan carrots look great! Adds nice color to the icing.

Erin said...

This is one of the prettiest cakes I've seen this week! Beautiful job!

Gretchen Noelle said...

Adorable marzipan carrots! Great color addition!

Peabody said...

Your carrots are so very cute.

Cakespy said...

Delicious and adorable! Marzipan mini stuff makes everything better!!!! I could go for a slice or five of this!

Anonymous said...

I LOVE carrot cake! You did a great job with those little carrots, Lori! :)

Donna said...

What pretty carrots! Nice cake too!
Donna

Anne said...

Great job, I loved the cinnamon too! The marzipan carrots look adorable.

giz said...

This carrot cake recipe is really delicious and I love the marzipan carrots - such a great addition.