The Prospects Carrot Cake Food

THE PROSPECT'S CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Combine oil and sugar in a bowl: beat well. Sift together dry ingredients.
• Sift half the dry ingredients into sugar mixture; blend well.
• Sift in remaining dry ingredients, alternation with eggs; mix
• well, after each addition.
• Stir in carrots, pecans and raisins.
• Pour into lightly oiled 10-inch tube pan.
• Bake in preheated 325 degree
• oven about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• Cool upright in pan.
• To make filling.
• Combine sugar and flour in small heavy saucepan.
• Gradually stir in cream.
• Add butter and salt.
• Cook over very low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture come to just a simmer.
• (This may take 30 minutes.) Let simmer 2-3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.
• Stir in nuts and vanilla.
• Cool completely, ideally overnight (I just make sure it is cold-put in fridge for a while).
• To make frosting, toast coconut at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes or
• until lightly browned.
• Cool.
• Combine cream cheese and butter in food processor or mixer.
• Add confectioner's sugar and vanilla and mix until perfectly smooth.
• Refrigerate if too soft to spread immediately.
• To assemble, split cooled cake into 3 layers.
• Spread pecan filling between layers. Reassemble on cake plate and frost top and sides with frosting.
• Pat toasted coconut onto sides of cake.

CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter and flour a 9-inch round and 3-inch deep cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Put the carrots into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
• Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 5 seconds. Add this mixture to the carrots and toss until they are well-coated with the flour.
• In the bowl of the food processor combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt.
• With the processor still running drizzle in the vegetable oil. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cake reaches 205 to 210 degrees F in the center.
• Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and allow cake to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 9 ounces powdered sugar, sifted, approximately 2 cups
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on medium just until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition.
• Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.
• Yield: approximately 2 cups

THE BEST CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds and lightly coat the paper with spray.
• Cover the raisins with very hot water and let sit until plump, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
• Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, and then chop 1 cup of the pecans; reserve for the cake batter. Pulse the remaining 1/2 cup pecans in a food processor until very finely ground; reserve for garnish.
• Combine the carrots and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Beat the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until pale and thick, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually stream in the oil. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the carrot mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. Fold in the raisins and chopped pecans with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
• Bake the cakes, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cakes cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cakes and invert onto the rack. Remove the parchment and let the cakes cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and gradually mix in the confectioner' sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until the frosting until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• To assemble the cake: When the cakes are completely cool, trim the domes of each cake round with a large serrated knife so the tops are flat. Place one cake, cut-side down, on a platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the frosting evenly over top. Place the remaining cake, cut-side down, on top. Spread the top with another 1 1/2 cups of the frosting. Frost the sides of the cake with another 1 1/2 cups frosting and smooth out completely to make an even crumb coat (It's ok if some of the cake shows through. This is just a base layer.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the frosting set.
• Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake, swirling decoratively if desired. Sprinkle with the finely ground pecans.

EASY CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line the base and sides of two 20cm cake tins with baking parchment. Whisk the oil, yogurt, eggs, vanilla and zest in a jug. Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg with a good pinch of salt in a bowl. Squeeze any lumps of sugar through your fingers, shaking the bowl a few times to bring the lumps to the surface.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry, along with the carrots, raisins and half the nuts, if using. Mix well to combine, then divide between the tins.
• Bake for 25-30 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If any wet mixture clings to the skewer, return to the oven for 5 mins, then check again. Leave to cool in the tins.
• To make the icing, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add half the soft cheese and beat again, then add the rest (adding it bit by bit prevents the icing from splitting). Remove the cakes from the tins and sandwich together with half the icing. Top with the remaining icing and scatter with the remaining walnuts. Will keep in the fridge for up to five days. Best eaten at room temperature.