Parma Style Carrot Cake Food

CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin with baking parchment.
• Tip the sugar, sunflower oil and eggs into a big mixing bowl. Lightly mix with a wooden spoon. Stir in the carrots, raisins and orange zest.
• Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and nutmeg into the bowl. Mix everything together, the mixture will be soft and almost runny.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 mins or until it feels firm and springy when you press it in the centre.
• Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then turn it out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack. (You can freeze the cake at this point if you want to serve it at a later date.)
• Beat the icing sugar and orange juice in a small bowl until smooth - you want the icing about as runny as single cream. Put the cake on a serving plate and boldly drizzle the icing back and forth in diagonal lines over the top, letting it drip down the sides.

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.

EASY PARMA-STYLE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13 glass oven-proof pan with the teaspoon of Crisco Oil then coat with sugar.
• Grind fennel seeds in a coffee grinder. Peel and process carrots in a food processor and remove to a mixing bowl. Process pine nuts, add mascarpone cheese and process. Add nuts and cheese mixture to processed carrots in mixing bowl. Beat eggs, 1/3 cup of oil and water and add to carrots in mixing bowl, along with the cinnamon and ground fennel. Combine all ingredients in the mixing bowl thoroughly. Add cake mix to the wet ingredients and stir until cake mix is completely moistened. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake at 350F for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.

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.