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| Tom's Birthday Cake -- The Preferred Version of Carrot Cake |
This will now be the official carrot cake recipe to use for Tom's birthday. I consolidated what I have learned over the years into one recipe --- no pineapple, but yes to golden raisins, coconut and pecans --- and it was just right. Not too sweet, and the carrot flavor comes through. I used Ina Garten's cream cheese frosting recipe which is the best.
---Barbara
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Barbara's Best)
Makes one 9x13 oblong cake
1 lb. carrots, peeled, grated/shredded
1 cup white sugar
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup fresh, soft golden raisins
1/2 cup fresh, soft sweetened coconut
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
1.5 cup canola oil
1 t. Vietnamese cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1 t. salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 t. baking soda
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Shred carrots in a food processor with the grater attachment. In a bowl, toss the carrots with the white sugar, then put the carrots in a colander over the bowl, to let the carrots release their extra water. This step prevents the cake from being too soggy and enhances the carrot flavor of the cake.
Meanwhile, toast the pecans, then let them cool completely. Chop and set aside. This can be done ahead of time. To toast the pecans, I prefer to use a toaster oven. Spread them in one layer on a small baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and watch closely, stirring if needed, until they begin to brown. You will start to be able to smell them. Remove quickly.
Measure out the coconut and the raisins and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 4 eggs, 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 t. salt, 1.5 cups canola oil, 1 t. cinnamon and 1/2 t. ginger until smooth and glossy.
It will be dark brown.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Then add the cooled chopped pecans and toss together until the nuts are well coated. This keeps the nuts from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together until the flour is incorporated. Do not over mix.
Add the carrots on top. (Discard the liquid from the carrots. Do not use the carrot liquid.)
Add the raisins and coconut on top of the carrots.
Then use a big spatula and carefully fold them into the batter until evenly distributed, but do not overmix.
Lightly spray a 9x13" baking pan with PAM, being sure to get in the corners.
Spread the batter into the pan, then tilt it up and down until the batter is evenly distributed into the corners.
Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven 40 to 45 minutes.
Until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely before frosting. Preferably on a rack. It will deflate a little, but that's okay. It is a dense, moist cake.
Ina Garten's Cream Cheese Frosting with Coconut
8 ounces softened cream cheese
12 T. (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/4 t. almond extract
2.5 cups sifted powdered sugar
Lots of fresh sweetened coconut for the top --- probably 1.5 to 2 cups
See recipe here.
Basically, there are two key steps to making this frosting.
The butter and cream cheese must be very soft so that they whip well.
And the powdered sugar must be sifted.
In a stand mixer, whip together the butter and the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the almond extract and vanilla extract. And whip again.
Sift the powdered sugar onto a piece of waxed paper, about one cup at a time, then add to the bowl, carefully slowly whipping it in, until you add all of the powdered sugar. Be sure it is well combined.
Spread onto the top of the cake. It will look like a lot but the cake needs it for the sweetness and the contrast in texture.
Add the candles, sing happy birthday, then...
cut into large squares and serve.
If you don't have a cover for your baking pan, then add toothpicks to keep the frosting from touching and cover with plastic wrap. It will be fine on the counter for a few days if it isn't too hot. Otherwise, refrigerate and bring to room temperature before serving.
B