Firstly, sorry for the woeful lack of posts this past week. I have an excuse though: some sort of throat virus that attacks anonymously but leaves its trace for several long, protracted days. Moving from the bed, much less blogging, was completely out of the question for the past few days but the good news is, apart from a nasty sinus headache (any tips for clearing that one up? I’ve tried every pill going and none of them seem to touch it) I’m back to 65/70% recovery and so I present to you a post that I started on Monday before I fell ill….(oh and I will get back to each one of you who commented or stumbled me…very soon!!).
I don’t know many people who dislike Carrot Cake. I prefer it everytime over chocolate cake. Perhaps it’s the always exciting spiciness of the cinnamon and cloves or is it the rich cream cheese icing (I always say I love a bit of cake with my icing). Or is it the slightly perverse thrill at putting a vegetable into a cake?
I suppose it could be the fact that Carrot Cake was once lauded as healthy. For sure it is missing the butter element but that cream cheese topping is about as calorific as it comes although there must be healthier options for the icing. I just don’t want to know about them.
For me, I enjoy the relentless moistness of the cake, the fact that it lasts forever in the cake tin (providing you don’t eat it first) and that tang of cream cheese followed by the spiciness of the cake when you take your first bite. Oh, and it is really easy to make. In fact, it was the first cake I ever made, in Domestic Science class (that’s cookery to you and me), when I was about 10 years old. It is my favourite type of cake mixture, pour and stir. No creaming necessary. There is that annoyingly prolonged time spent grating carrots but if you have a food processor that element is despatched post haste too.
This recipe is slightly different, because, what with this being a chocolate blog and all, it uses Cocoa Powder. The flavour is not overpowered by the cocoa but simply enhanced and given extra depth. The original recipe used (from the Divine Heavenly Chocolate Recipes cookbook) used Cocoa Powder in the Icing too but I omitted that because I love the white, fluffy purity of the original cream cheese icing. I have given both options here in case you want to go all out cocoa mad though.
For the Cake:
3 Large Free Range Eggs
175g Caster Sugar
200ml Sunflower Oil
250g Grated Carrot
200g Plain Flour
3 Tablespoons Good Quality Cocoa Powder
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Ground Ginger
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
125g Walnut Pieces (optional)
For the Icing
100g Soft Unsalted Butter
100g Cream Cheese
300g Sieved Icing Sugar
5 Tablespoons Sieved Cocoa Powder (optional)
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180c.
Line and grease two 8″ Round Sandwich Tins.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until light and frothy. Gradually beat in the oil. A hands free or electric hand whisk is by far the quickest method here.
Stir in the grated carrots.
In a separate bowl, sieve together the Flour, Baking Powder, Spices and Cocoa Powder and stir into the carrot/egg/sugar/oil mixture.
Fold in nuts if using.
Pour evenly into the two prepared sandwich tins and bake for about 25 minutes or until soft to the touch. A skewer may not come out completely clean as carrot cake is always supposed to be very moist.
Leave to cool in the tins and then turn out. Once completely cool, cover and fill with the following icing:
To make the icing, mix together all the ingredients until a thick but spreadable and very creamy icing emerges.
You can decorate with chopped walnuts if you like, or some coconut carrots that, implausibly, my Mum had in her bread bin!
Enjoy!
Funny isn’t it. I think I’d probably choose carrot cake over chocolate cake too but looks like you’ve cracked that dilemma. Hope you’re feeling better. There’s been some dreadful things about so far this Autumn.
One Word…. WOW!
Oh, wow. Looks amazing! I love the coconut carrots on top. Hope you’re feeling better!
+Jessie
a.k.a. The Hungry Mouse
The best of both worlds! Can’t wait to try this out one of these days…Hope you are feeling better now.
Hi!
Really hope you’re better now and enjoy posting wonderful treats like this one!! 🙂
Thanks for sharing!!
Gera .:. sweetsfoods
Reminds me a little like what black coffee does for chocolate cake. Looks divine. Sorry you’re feeling punk. I’m suffering my second wave of sniffles, etc. this month.
And those coconut carrots look like the real deal!
Hi! Found you via your old blog & have been drooling through your recipes..hehe
Thought you may like know I have made a few recently…thanks for giving me some inspiration!:)
http://eastofthesunart.blogspot.com/2008/11/real-mixed-bag-today.html
http://eastofthesunart.blogspot.com/2008/11/whats-for-dinner.html
Carrot cake is one my Husband’s faves….lol
Hope you’re feeling better! This is inspired – I can see how cocoa would really add a level of depth to carrot cake. Now, if only there were a free sample nearby for me to confirm the theory …
Freya,
I am new to your blog — arrived from Norway via Culinary Types. Maybe you are already aware of this, but did you know that Norway’s most popular chocolate company is called “Freia”? Named after the Norse goddess of love, love for all things chocolate, no less.
–maura
I think this is very nice dish! Need to try it!
We totally comprehend that the body can sometimes break down too. Rest up some more!
I love your take on a mundane carrot cake and those coconut carrots rockkkkk!!!
A Chocolate carrot cake? Well I’d gove it a go 🙂 Those carrots look incredibly real!!
Hope you are feeling a lot better soon. I find chocolate helps a sinus headache – I’m only half joking 🙂
I can’t believe I never thought of a chocolate carrot cake! But nothing compares to those unbelievably muscular carrots, love them. Merry Christmas and much chocolate of your dreams to you!
Great recipe. I find leaving the carrot cake for a few days makes it even moister. Fantastic!
So THAT’s how you make Carrot Cake healthier….. Add chocolate! I’m in love!
I came to your blog because of your truffle picture that was on Food Buzz. As soon as I saw it I wondered if they were the coconut lemongrass truffles from Making Artisan Chocolates by Andrew Garrison Shotts and was happy to see that it was because I love that book. I made truffles for my family for Christmas and all the recipes were out of that book.
Thanks for the article, well written and it worked out perfect. Hey if you write and post a lot of articles you should look at putting them on Wacanai.com(http://www.wacanai.com/intro). They have a huge database of articles and you can search by a bunch of different topics, plus they will recommend other similar articles to you. I know that you can link your site to it too. Thanks, peace.
What a delicious cake!!
Enjoy your day and don’t forget to send your entry for chocolate-making kit giveaway on my site 😉
Margot
Hi, I found your site through blogger and LOVED the chocolate carrot cake recipe! I never tried a carrot cake with chocolate before but honestly, chocolate goes well with anything! Thank you for sharing. If you are looking for more ways to include chocolate in your cooking, go to the Dove Chocolate Discoveries webpage for great recipes and ideas.
Simply so yummy. So delicious that I’ll try to make it tonight!
Enjoyed reading through this site, I will send this site to a few of my friends
Thanks for the recipe. Looking forward to baking this myself.
great recipe! this would be a good idea for a boyfriend gift. thanks.
Hi rose! nice idea. I can offer this as a corporate gift too.
I also found this recipe on the eastern tv links. Thanks.
I have a video demo on this. For me to share it here, I would like to convert it from 8mm to dvd.
Keep posted.
Nice recipe… thanks for sharing this.
Thank you for this simple recipe. I am so looking forward to bringing this to the next potluck instead of my usual fried chicken.
I think I will love this cake… I love blueberry cheese cake but I want to try this one.
mouthwatering… i should try serving this during summer camp
Cool! I haven’t really tried the carrot-coconut combination but from how yummy all these photos look, I sure would like to try it now! Good job
Hi…
Nice blog! well written and it worked out perfect. Thanks for this simple recipe. Nice recipe… thanks for sharing this
These dresses are perfect quality and still look wonderful after months of wear. They are easy to get on and off.
More
Hello there, Making it very thanks a lot all the autor inside the web. Every is obvious together with priceless. The style can typically be gorgeous in my opinion. Everything that amuse tel myself what’s the subject matter web theme will you use? say thanks a lot when and so keep working this fantastic give good results.
If you are going for most excellent contents like me, just pay a visit this web
site everyday because it offers feature contents, thanks
Hey There. I discovered your weblog the usage of msn.
That is a very well written article. I’ll be sure to bookmark it and come back to read extra of your useful information. Thank you for the post. I’ll certainly comeback.
Now I am going to do my breakfast, afterward having my breakfast coming yet again to read more news.
Admin do you want unlimited content for your page?
Type in google:
Stottai’s Rewriter