Jaen-Marie Breytenbach, graduate of the Capsicum Culinary Studio in 2015 and SA Olympic Culinary Team member, shares her carrot-cake recipe.
Ingredients
400 g cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
295 ml vegetable oil
200 g sugar
200 g brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 eggs
300 g carrots, peeled & grated (save the peels for garnish)
125 g pecan nuts, chopped
65 g raisins
65 g pineapple, grated
65 g zucchini, grated
Zest of 2 lemons
130 g dried cranberries
Method
Heat the oven to 180 °C. Grease two 23 cm round cake pans and line the bottom with baking paper then grease the top of the paper. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, both sugars and vanilla essence. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Using a large rubber spatula, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then add the dry ingredients in three parts, gently stirring until they disappear and the batter is smooth. Stir in the carrots, nuts and raisins.
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake until the tops of the cake layers are springy when touched and when a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean (35 to 45 minutes). Cool cakes in pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks, peel off parchment paper and cool completely.
Cream-cheese icing
Ingredients
113 g salted butter (softened), 226 g cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla essence, ¼ teaspoon salt, 500 g powdered sugar, ½ cup lemon zest
Method
Combine butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer (or you can use an electric hand mixer) and beat until creamy, well-combined and lump-free. Add vanilla essence and salt and stir well to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar until completely combined. Use to ice completely cooled cake.
Cinnamon Tuille
Ingredients
100 g egg whites, 100 g icing sugar, 50 g corn flour, 100 g butter (melted), 150 g flour, ½ tsp vanilla essence, 1 tsp cinnamon
Method
Preheat oven to 180 °C. Add egg whites to a large bowl and whisk a little before adding the sugar and whisking until frothy. Stir in the flour, corn flour and vanilla essence and then add the melted butter. Add cinnamon and mix to a smooth batter. Spoon onto two lined baking trays and spread thinly using an offset spatula and bake for seven to eight minutes until the tuiles are just turning golden around the edges. Remove the baking trays from the oven and let cool completely. Break tuille into chards.
For the carrot peels – deep fry them in hot oil and remove when golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels, then use for garnish on the cake along with the tuile and extra nuts and dried fruit if desired.
