You know what the best kind of desserts are? The ones you KNOW are homemade and painstakingly made from the heart - and not some mass produced confection from the cafes. Don’t get me wrong though, the latter may still be delicious but it just lacks the… human touch. Like if I had to choose between a traditional mooncake from a Michelin star/award-winning brand vs. a homemade one by a dear friend’s ahma (grandmother in Mandarin) I assure you I would choose the ahma-made one any day. But that’s not to say that all desserts are better homemade. I wouldn’t eat a homemade éclair. Don’t ask, I just won’t. Fight me.
[INSERT PICTURE OF INGREDIENT FLATLAY]
But no it ain’t the recipe for mooncakes that I’ll be sharing with you today. I wish it were though, because I love traditional mooncakes. Today I’ll be sharing a classic which never fails to disappoint me at every turn when served at a cafe but absolutely knocks me off my feet when made by hand. Could any of you guys make a guess? Well… it’s Homestyle Carrot Cake! There’s just something about the sheer unrefined look of the non-buttercream frosting that makes my hypersensitive right nipple twitch (FYI, that’s a good thing). Basically, with cakes like these, the ‘messier’ it looks the better. That simply means it was made by hand and the aesthetic is only secondary.
[INSERT PICTURE OF WHOLE CARROT CAKE]
And I’ve always been a buttercream hater no offence, it just tastes 99% of butter (duh) and often destroys the complex flavours that embody the cake… if any. In the case of a Homestyle Carrot Cake, it overpowers the delicate balance of spices you infuse into the batter. Don’t even get me started on how the stability of buttercream makes a cake look visually symmetrical and perfect. No! You absolutely want the frosting to only barely hold its shape in this recipe. And how, despite how hard you try, it will never look perfect.
[INSERT PICTURE OF SLICED CARROT CAKE]
Imagine a penchant affair of delicate spices and pecans (maybe raisins, but girl you kinky) tingling your tastebuds, accented by a luscious layer of cream cheese frosting tugging at your heartstrings from the inside. But the frosting looks like it was done by a complete amateur. And when you cut the finished cake at the table, your guests or family members should be gasping eyes-wide in fear of the cake falling apart. My dear Giaotornomer, if you have achieved such as above, you have passed your initiation. I applaud you on your success. Congratulations. That is exactly how a Homestyle Carrot Cake should be. Not some symmetrical buttercream bullsh*t.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
INGREDIENTS
PLEASE EDIT THE RECIPE!!!!!!!!!!!
FOR CARROT CAKE
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda, important to level the teaspoon, see tips
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ¼ cups (295ml) vegetable oil
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 cup (190g) lightly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups (300g) grated peeled carrots, 5 to 6 medium carrots
1 cup (120g) coarsely chopped pecans
FOR CREAMY FROSTING
8 ounces (225g) cream cheese, at room temperature
2 teaspoons cornstarch, optional
1 ¼ cups (140g) powdered sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) cold heavy cream, not plain whipping cream, see notes
1/2 cup (50g) coarsely chopped pecans, for topping cake
MAKE THE BATTER
1Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F(176°C). 2Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottom with parchment paper, and then grease the top. Or grease and flour the bottom and sides of both pans. 3Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl until very well blended. 4In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. 5Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each one. 6Switch to a large rubber spatula. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the dry ingredients in three parts, gently stirring until they disappear and the batter is smooth. 7Stir in the carrots, nuts, and raisins.
BAKE CAKE
1Divide the cake batter between the prepared cake pans. 2Bake until the tops of the cake layers are springy when touched and when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. 3Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then carefully turn the cake layers out onto cooling racks. Remove the parchment paper and cool completely. If you find that a cake layer is sticking to the bottom of the pan, leave the cake pan upside down and allow gravity to do its thing.
TO FINISH
1In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with a handheld mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. 2Beat in the powdered sugar and cornstarch. I like sifting the powdered sugar and cornstarch over the cream cheese to remove lumps. If you do not have a fine mesh sieve, beat in the cornstarch and powdered sugar a 1/4 cup at a time until combined. 3Pour in the heavy cream. Beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until the frosting is whipped and creamy. This frosting resembles the texture of whipped cream. Chill covered until ready to frost the cake. 4When the cake layers are completely cool, frost the top of one cake layer and place the second cake layer on top. 5Add the remaining frosting to the top of the carrot cake and use a butter knife or small spatula to swirl the frosting around. Leave the sides of the cake unfrosted. Finish with a handful of nuts on top.
STORING
1Frosted carrot cake lasts in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. I keep it covered with plastic wrap or use a cake keeper, or large bowl turned upside down to cover the cake. I do not recommend freezing frosted carrot cake (the frosting does not thaw well). You can refrigerate unfrosted cake layers for up 5 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before adding your frosting.
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