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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes |
Ready In: 30 Minutes Servings: 1 |
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It should be noted that this Carrot Cake is not only extraordinarily GOOD, it’s also actually virtuous. Don’t believe me? Just read the ingredients! Ingredients:
1 1/2 c melted butter (sweet cream, unsalted) |
1 1/2 c honey |
4 eggs |
3 t vanilla extract |
grated zest of 1/2 orange |
2 c whole wheat flour |
2 c unbleached flour |
1 tsp salt |
1/2 tsp baking soda |
3 tsp baking powder |
1 tsp ground allspice |
2 tsp ground cinnamon |
2 1/2 cups packed, finely shredded carrot, soaked in about 1/2 c orange juice |
3/4 c each raisins and walnuts |
1/2 c poppy seeds (optional) |
optional and not quite virtuous mascarpone icing |
2 (8 ounce) packages mascarpone, softened |
(it's really just an italian variation of cream cheese, feel free to substitute cream cheese) |
1/2 cup butter, softened (again, unsalted sweet cream) |
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar |
1 teaspoon vanilla extract |
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease 2 loaf pans or 2 9” round cake pans. Sprinkle the buttered interior of the pans with poppy seeds.
2. Beat the honey, butter, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest together in a generously-sized bowl, starting with the butter & honey, then adding the eggs one at a time. (You want to kind of cool the melted butter off with the honey so the eggs don't cook!) Sift the dry ingredients together twice.
3. Gradually mix the flour mixture and the carrot mixture into the butter mixture. Mix the ingredients together gently, taking care not to “overwork” the batter as that will make your cake tough or dry. If you want to use the poppy seeds, sprinkle the buttered pans with them. Divide the batter into the 2 pans and bake. Baking time will vary depending on the type of pan you choose. Round pans will need 25-35 minutes and loaf pans will need 45-55 minutes to bake. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out to finish cooling.
4. This is really quite tasty without the icing. If you do want to ice it, then cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar and smooth over the cooled carrot cake. When I do choose to ice it, I like to top the icing with walnut halves, and of course cover the sides with lots of chopped walnuts.
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