Grown Up Carrot Cake Recipes

CARROT CAKE FOR TWO

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan with parchment, and lightly coat with cooking spray. Toast the pecans on a small baking sheet until lightly browned and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Make a big well in the center so you can see the bottom of the bowl. Working within the well, add the sugar and egg and beat with a fork until well combined, then add the oil and vanilla and beat with the fork. Stir the dry and wet ingredients together with the fork until just combined. Fold in the carrots and pecans.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 20 minutes, then turn it out of the pan, remove the parchment and let cool completely, right-side up, on the rack, about 1 hour.
• For the frosting: Process the cream cheese and butter in a food processor until completely combined and smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape the bottom and side of the bowl. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, and process until just combined. Transfer to a small bowl.
• To assemble: Cut the cake into 4 even wedges, as if you were cutting up a pie. Frost the top of each wedge with about 3 tablespoons of frosting (an offset spatula helps spread the frosting evenly). Stack the frosted wedges directly on top of each other on a serving plate, resulting in a 4-layer slice of cake with frosting between the layers and on top. Completely cover the curved back side of the cake with the remaining frosting, and leave the 2 remaining sides open. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Cut the wedge in half, and serve.

GROWN-UP CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat your oven to 150°C.
• Sift the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and mix together with the sugar.
• In another bowl, beat the eggs, oil and zests together, then add the carrots and walnuts.
• Fold into the flour mixture.
• Pour into a greased and lined tin and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out cleanly. Once cooked, turn out and let cool.
• Meanwhile, beat together the icing sugar and butter until light and fluffy, then fold in the cream cheese. Put in the fridge until stiffened.
• Once the cake is cool, spread the topping over and serve.

UPSIDE-DOWN CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter just the sides of a 9-inch round cake pan.
• For the caramel topping: Microwave the butter, brown sugar and lemon juice in a small microwave-safe bowl until melted. Spread the mixture over the bottom of the prepared pan. Arrange the carrot ribbons on top.
• For the cake: Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet, and bake until nicely toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, then pulse in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk together with the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and allspice; set aside.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the lemon zest. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition and scraping down the side of the bowl as needed (it's okay if the batter looks slightly separated and broken). Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add 1/2 the flour mixture, then the sour cream, then the remaining flour.
• Pour the batter over the carrots in the cake pan, spread it into an even layer and give the pan a few taps on the counter. Bake the cake until it's golden brown and pulls away from the edge and a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center, 45 to 50 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to separate it from the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack until just cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes. Invert a serving platter over the cake pan and, while holding them together, quickly flip them over so the cake unmolds, carrot-side up. Let cool completely. Cut into wedges, and serve.