Nothing says celebration like a freshly baked cake, whether it be for a birthday, anniversary, wedding, baptism, festive holidays or just an opportunity to celebrate life overall.
It’s no wonder this table centrepiece has a special day dedicated to it. Thursday 26 November marks International Cake Day, with bakers and cake consumers celebrating all things “cakey”, decadent and delicious – all the things we simply love about cake.
To mark the sweet and fluffy day, Capsicum Culinary Studio alumnus Hendrik Pretorius shared his carrot cake recipe.
Best carrot cake
- Ingredients:
• 250 g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 tsp cinnamon powder
• 200 g light brown sugar
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped
• 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 400 g carrots, peeled and finely grated.
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• sugar syrup
• cream cheese frosting
• whole walnuts and carrot fondants for decorating (optional)
- Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Line the bottom of two 16 cm cake tins with baking paper circles and spray the sides lightly with oil or brush with melted butter.
3. Sift the flour, cinnamon powder, ginger powder, baking powder and bicarb into a large bowl and make a well in the middle.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar, oil, honey and eggs, then add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until smooth and well-combined.
5. Stir in the finely grated carrots and chopped walnuts.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake tins and bake for 60 minutes, rotating the cakes tins after 30 minutes. Stick a skewer into the middle and if it comes out clean the cakes are done.
7. Remove from the oven and let them cool before taking them out the tins.
8. Make the sugar syrup by combining 100 g sugar and 96 ml water in a saucepan over medium heat and stirring until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely before use.
9. Make the cream cheese frosting by whisking together 350 g cream cheese and 125 g butter until smooth then add 375 g icing sugar followed by two tablespoons lemon juice, the zest of one lemon and two teaspoons of vanilla extract with a hand mixer. Continue to whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before use.
10. When the cakes have cooled, trim the top of each cake with a serrated knife so it is flat. Slice both cakes in half horizontally so you have four rounds.
11. Place the first round on a plate or a rotating cake stand and brush the top with a layer of sugar syrup. Spoon ¼ of the frosting on top and spread evenly to the edges.
12. Gently place the second cake round, upside down, on top and repeat the sugar syrup, frosting process, followed by the third round and the final round, spreading the remainder of the frosting equally across the top.
13. Decorate with walnuts and/or small carrot fondants, and serve.
