When you think about it, Carrot cake really is an old soul, that goes to an old school of thought with life lessons are passed down… it is like grandma. I’ve always stayed shy of a carrot cake because I find it needs a deft hand, but I also don’t particularly like vegetable oil in my cakes thus this recipe has none. I am that person who googles alternatives to things whilst standing in the aisle of the store. I come as I am, so take me as I am.
A friend’s husband baked a carrot cake so good once, it became the bar by which I measure excellence when it comes to baked goods. So, without further ado here is my recipe for making the most perfect carrot cake complete with frosting AND your own homemade salted caramel. Did I tell you I am proud? I mean I need no excuse to bake; in my later years I will be the old lady whom the neighbourhood children love because I will always has cake. I love baking when Kate Spade said, EAT CAKE FOR BREAKFAST; she was talking to and about me. Anyways enough yapping here is the recipe.
Recipe:
- 300g Spelt flower
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 280ml Apple Sauce
- 45g melted butter; let it cool to room temperature, not cold but just right
- 200g caster sugar
- 220g light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla essence
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 250g carrots; peeled, washed and chopped
- 150g toasted pecans; chopped. Extra for the cake frosting.
NOTES: I didn’t have enough apple sauce so made up the rest with the melted butter, but you can wholly use apple sauce as a substitute for vegetable oil, matter of fact I actively avoid using this type of oil in my cakes, because I do not enjoy the taste. If you already consume these in other foods, overconsumption of anything really, is not particularly good for us, and we are all just trying to stay alive innit.
Salted Caramel:
- 200g caster sugar
- 80g salted butter
- ½ cup double cream
- Pinch of salt
Cream cheese frosting:
- 200g Cream cheese at room temperature
- 200g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 500g Icing sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Bean paste
Bake:
- Turn on the over to 175 degree Celsius; turn it on because the cake batter comes together fast so this should be the absolute first step. If you can turn it on before you measure out the ingredients, do so.
- Prepare your baking tins; for this recipe you can use either 9 inch or 12-inch pans. Double in any size will give you a decent sized cake, single 12 inch will be perfect too. for those of us too nervous with layers, because this ingredient has the caramel sauce I would say, forget the later and make one big cake. But do you by all means.
- Combine together all the dry ingredients: flour, sugars; caster and brown, spices; nutmeg and cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, mix together with a handheld whisk to make sure it is well and thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Combine the wet ingredients; the apple sauce, melted butter, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla essence and thoroughly combine until well mixed.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients; pour the wet into the dry and combine until just; this does not need to be perfect matter of fact it shouldn’t; mix it together for a short time because the worst thing you can do to your cake is to over mix so mix until just. There should be flour left unmixed, so it is essentially a rough-cut mixture.
- Mix in the chopped carrots into the rough-cut combined mixture, mix it up, again not too fine a point.
- Mix in the pecans; now mix it up well everything should be combined but because you have already mixed it up in all those steps it should not take too long to come together.
- Pour the batter into your prepared cake tins however many you are using.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until nicely deep golden brown. Insert a skewer and make sure it comes out clean. Because the carrot cake is moist don’t be alarmed if specks of cake cling to the skewers if it’s done, take it out.
Salted Caramel: I love a good, salted caramel, salted caramel anything, on ice cream in brownies amazing. In this carrot cake, DIVINE. Even if I do say so myself.
- In a saucepan over medium heat pour in the sugar and stir. Stir gently and continuous with a spatula or a whisk. Just keep stirring until the magic happened when the sugar becomes liquid. This takes a while but whatever you do, do not keep stop stirring.
- Once the sugar is fully melted add the butter and keep stirring.
- Once butter and sugar have done their job and liquified remove the saucepan from the heat and add the double cream stir some more.
- Add the vanilla stir some more
- Add the pinch of salt and stir some more.
- Aside: I never know why salt is required in baking until you taste the before and after editions; salt matters. It is a balancer of worlds.
Frosting: Of all the elements of a cake, making the frosting is equal parts nerve-wracking and satisfying all at once. Too little and it’ll be running, too much and it’ll be cakey and lumpy. You simply never know but it is all parts satisfying when it is done right. So, room temperature matters. If you can, sift the icing sugar to avoid a lumpy mixture.
- Using the paddle on a standalone mixture or a handheld whisk, combine the cream cheese and butter together until well combined and light.
- Add in the vanilla and mix some more.
- Turn the speed on low and mix in the icing sugar. Once combine turn it up and mix some more.
- Add in the pinch of salt.
- mix.
- stop. The trick to making frosting is to know when to stop and you will know, your instincts will inform your hands as it mixes.
The consistency should be steady; when you lift the paddle from the mixture it should not run off. If it does, add more icing sugar.
Assembly:
- Make sure the cake is completed cooked before icing. Cook the cake in the tin first and then slowly and gently place on a cooling rack for more cooling time. This part takes at least two hours, three depending on size.
- Once cooled the cake should be easier to handle so transfer it onto the cake board.
- If you have baked two layers, add your dollop of icing for the crumb coat, create a recess on the bottom layer and add the cooled salted caramel sauce. You need the recess to avoid it running over, this is the one time you want your cup to not runneth over and give your cake layer the slip and slide. (mine was on the slip and slide after a while so I should know see picture above)
- Place the second layer on op and continue with the crumb coat before placing in the fridge for about a half hour.
- Remove from the fridge and complete the frosting.
- Place the toasted pecan nuts on the top layer. (for pizzaz I would pour more caramel onto the top of the cake and then ass in the pecan nuts. OMG!!
- Return to the fridge, cream cheese should not be left out for long especially in a kitchen that has just handled the heat of the baking process.
Enjoy with either a glass of champagne or a shot of whisky. If you have bourbon even better, something about pecan and bourbon just warms the soul.