Carrot Cake Recipe Nytimes Recipes

SAVORY SPICED CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 425 degrees.
• In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, white sesame seeds, turmeric, cayenne, baking powder and baking soda.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, feta, carrots and scallions. Lightly butter a 9-inch cake pan.
• Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and beat well to make a thick batter.
• Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. When butter is hot, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds and cook until fragrant (seeds will begin to pop a bit). Adjust heat so butter does not burn; it's O.K. if butter browns a little.
• Whisk hot butter mixture into batter and beat well to combine. Scrape batter into prepared cake pan and smooth top with a spatula.
• Bake on the middle rack for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer or paring knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack, then invert onto a plate. (Cake may be baked several hours or up to a day in advance.)
• To finish cake, beat crème fraîche with a fork to loosen, then spread with a metal spatula or knife to coat top and sides. Decorate with cilantro sprigs and reserved scallions. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds, if desired, and crushed red pepper. Cut into wedges and serve.

ONE-BOWL CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, and spray again.
• Make the topping: Whisk the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar and salt, and stir slowly with a whisk until no traces of sugar remain, then whisk rapidly until smooth. Add the egg and whisk until fully incorporated, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth. Using a silicone spatula, scrape the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip or a gallon-size resealable plastic bag, and set aside. Reserve the bowl, whisk and spatula without washing.
• Make the cake batter: Combine the eggs and granulated sugar in the reserved bowl and beat with the whisk until evenly combined. While whisking, add the oil in a steady stream and whisk until emulsified. Add the flour, spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and use the spatula to fold into the wet ingredients just until the dry ingredients disappear. Add the carrots and fold until evenly distributed.
• Scrape the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. If using a plastic bag, snip a 1/2-inch hole in a lower corner. Pipe the topping gently and evenly over the batter to completely cover it. It's OK if it looks bumpy; it will even out in the oven.
• Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with bits of the topping but no cake batter, 50 to 60 minutes. (If your cream cheese layer doesn't take on very much color by the time the cake has finished cooking, you can broil it until the top is browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes.)
• Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cut directly in the pan to serve, or slide out of the pan using the parchment paper to cut into squares. The cake can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

CARROT LOAF CAKE WITH TANGY LEMON GLAZE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees and set a rack in the center. Oil a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over the two long sides. Oil the paper, too.
• Add the light brown sugar and eggs to a large bowl and whisk vigorously until pale in color, about 2 minutes. Add the oil, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Whisk until well combined and smooth.
• Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda, and whisk, starting slowly to incorporate the flour without spilling it, until well combined and smooth, switching to a rubber spatula if necessary. Fold in the grated carrots. The batter will be very thick.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any big air bubbles.
• Bake the cake until golden and puffed and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and set on the rack over a baking sheet to cool completely.
• When the cake is cool, make the glaze: Finely zest the lemon into a medium bowl. Juice the lemon, and set aside lemon juice. Add the confectioners' sugar and finely grated carrot (if using) to the bowl with the zest, along with 4 teaspoons of the lemon juice. Whisk vigorously until smooth. Add more lemon juice as needed to make a thick but pourable glaze. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and let it set for a few minutes before slicing. Store the cake well wrapped at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.