Parma Style Carrot Cake Food

PARMA-STYLE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
• Place the pine nuts, 1/2 cup sugar, and fennel seeds in a food processor and pulse to mince the nuts. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and the carrots. Pulse to mince the carrots. Add the mascarpone cheese and pulse until the cheese is incorporated.
• In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, until well blended.
• Add the carrot mixture to the butter mixture and stir until combined. Add in the reserved dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated.
• Place the mixture in a lightly greased and floured 8 by 10 by-2-inch baking dish. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes.
• Let the cake cool for 1 hour, then dust with powdered sugar. Cut into squares and serve.

VEGAN RAINBOW CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl.
• Whisk together the vegan cane sugar, coconut oil, applesauce, vanilla and orange zest in another large bowl until smooth. Fold in the carrots until just combined. Slowly fold in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with almond milk and ending with the flour. Fold in the 1 cup walnuts.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then use the foil overhang to remove the cake to a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours.
• For the frosting: Just before serving, beat the butter in a large bowl on medium-high speed with a handheld electric mixer until light and smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and add the vegan confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until well combined after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. If the frosting is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of the almond milk at a time and mix until it reaches your desired consistency.
• Place 1/4 cup of frosting into 4 small bowls. Add 3 to 4 drops of green vegan food coloring to one bowl and mix to combine. Transfer to a small piping bag fitted with a round piping tip. Repeat with the remaining 3 bowls of frosting and the magenta, orange and yellow vegan food coloring.
• Spread the remaining white frosting on top of the cake leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Use the colored frosting to pipe small magenta, orange and yellow carrots with green stems all over the cake. Sprinkle with the remaining finely chopped walnuts.

CARROT-PINE NUT CAKE FROM PARMA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
• Place the pine nuts, 1/2 cup sugar, and fennel seeds in a food processor and pulse to mince the nuts. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and the carrots (easily shredded with the food processor attachment). Pulse to mince the carrots. Add the mascarpone cheese and pulse until the cheese is incorporated. If you can't find mascarpone, cream cheese is a good substitute.
• In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between adding each additional egg.
• Add the carrot mixture to the butter mixture and stir until combined. Add in 1/3 of the reserved dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated. Add the rest in thirds the same way.
• Place the mixture in a lightly greased and floured 8 by 10 by-2-inch baking dish. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Giada filled a cupcake-paper-lined muffin tin 3/4 full each, and baked for 18-20 minutes for individual portions.
• Let the bread/cake cool for 1 hour, then dust with powdered sugar. Cut into squares and serve.