I have officially found a better recipe for carrot cake, here it is: it is a mix of my mother in law's recipe and one I found in a southern food magazine. Yes there is oil in it, but you cannot taste it. This cake requires three steps: the cake, the glaze and the icing. The glaze used on the "just out of the oven" cakes is delicious and adds a butterscotch flavour but it is not essential.
I will still use this cake to make the garden cake, although I will not make layers as it is one large rectangle.
1cupChopped or not nuts (pecans, walnuts or almonds)
1cupRaisins
Buttermilk glaze
1cupSugar
1 ½tspBaking soda
½cupButtermilk
½cupButter
1tbspLight corn syrup
1tspVanilla (or Bourbon)
Cream cheese frosting
¾cupButter (softened)
12ozCream cheese (softened)
3cupsIcing sugar(sifted)
1 ½tspVanilla
Directions
Cake
1
Preheat oven to 350°F
2
Line 3 (9-inch) round cakepans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.
3
Stir together first 5 ingredients.
4
With electric beater, beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed until smooth.
5
Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended.
6
Fold in carrot and next 4 ingredients.
7
Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
8
Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
9
If using the glaze, drizzle it evenly over cakes as soon as they come out of the oven;
Cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes.
Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. It's important to cool the cakes completely before frosting, otherwise the frosting will just melt right off.
Buttermilk glaze
10
Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes.
Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla (or other flavouring).
Cream cheese frosting
11
Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.
12
Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Decorate with toasted coconut and nuts, or marzipan vegetables if making the garden cake, the options are endless.
Ingredients
Cake
2cupsAll purpose flour
2tspBaking soda
½tspSalt
1tspCinnamon
1tspNutmeg
3Large eggs
2cupsSugar
¾cupVegetable oil
¾cupButtermilk
2tspVanilla
2cupsGrated carrots
8oz(one can) Crushed pineapple, well drained
1cupFlaked coconut
1cupChopped or not nuts (pecans, walnuts or almonds)
1cupRaisins
Buttermilk glaze
1cupSugar
1 ½tspBaking soda
½cupButtermilk
½cupButter
1tbspLight corn syrup
1tspVanilla (or Bourbon)
Cream cheese frosting
¾cupButter (softened)
12ozCream cheese (softened)
3cupsIcing sugar(sifted)
1 ½tspVanilla
Directions
Cake
1
Preheat oven to 350°F
2
Line 3 (9-inch) round cakepans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.
3
Stir together first 5 ingredients.
4
With electric beater, beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed until smooth.
5
Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended.
6
Fold in carrot and next 4 ingredients.
7
Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
8
Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
9
If using the glaze, drizzle it evenly over cakes as soon as they come out of the oven;
Cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes.
Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. It's important to cool the cakes completely before frosting, otherwise the frosting will just melt right off.
Buttermilk glaze
10
Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes.
Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla (or other flavouring).
Cream cheese frosting
11
Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.
12
Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Decorate with toasted coconut and nuts, or marzipan vegetables if making the garden cake, the options are endless.
