The Covered Dish: Carrot Cake

0
466

Debbie Dance Uhrig

Spring is truly upon us here in the Ozark Mountains.  Today my family and I started our first day of a family ‘staycation’.  The guys took me to my favorite restaurant in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, for brunch today.  The drive, the mountains, and cattle grazing on the hillsides were simply beautiful.  That doesn’t even include the wonderful late brunch we enjoyed at, ‘Local Flavor’.  We joined the tourists and walked a bit of the hills, and I managed to hit a couple of my favorite shops.  We even took time for a family photo.

As we look at the upcoming weeks many are already planning their Easter Dinner.  I’m wondering if we will be eating radishes and wearing our swimming suits by Easter.  (Just joking, but also truly wondering.)  For our family every Easter seems to be ‘different’.  Last year we came home from a trip to Colorado the night before.  So our Easter dinner was ham loaf.  This year I want our dinner to take a new spin.  I haven’t decided exactly how, but I’m working on it.

The Carrot Cake I’m sharing today is definitely one worth the effort.  The tiered cake is a beautiful presentation visually and on the palate.  My ‘biggest’ tip when preparing tiered cakes is to make the cake body ahead of time.  I usually wrap mine in saran before freezing each one individually.  Then when you go to put the filling and icing together it won’t seem like such an undertaking.   You can freeze the entire cake by doing a ‘flash’ freeze overnight.  The next day you then wrap the entire cake in saran.  This is not my first choice, but sometimes necessary with travels and such.  Remember to thaw the cake in the refrigerator and remove the saran while the cake is still frozen.

In between the layers you may choose to get creative with an alternative filling instead of using icing.  A recent visit with a professional cake baker included this tip:  Between cake layers she brushes on a ‘simple syrup’, using a flavor of choice.  She then refrigerates the cake for 30 minutes or so, before she puts on the filling or icing.  This provides more moisture to the interior of the cake.

This week I get to prepare a dinner for a large group of our friends.  Everyone is chipping to help, and I get to do a ‘demo’ dinner for them.    The main entrée will be Springfield Style Cashew Chicken.  It’s a bit troublesome with all the frying, but everyone always enjoys it and it’s appreciated.   They’ve also asked me to prepare my French Onion soup.  The soup will have to be made in advance with all the frying and sauce making there won’t be enough time.

Also on the menu this week, at our home, is a belated Corned Beef dinner.  Due to schedules we didn’t really celebrate St. Patrick’s day like usual.  Another night I’ve got a large fresh salmon to smoke for dinner.  I’m really looking forward to enjoying a sweet marinade over the salmon, fresh potatoes, vegetables and a salad.   I may have just enjoyed a big brunch out, but these two dinners are really making my mouth water.

One of our son’s friends is due over any minute and I need to put fresh sheets on the guest room bed.  Time to wish you a terrific week full of positive outcomes.

Simply yours, The Covered Dish.  www.thecovereddish.com

 

Carrot Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup light vegetable oil, canola

1 cup buttermilk

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups grated carrots

1 (8 1/2 ounce) can of pineapple, drained

(This is actually about 5-6 ounces of pineapple.)

1/2 cup chopped Toasted Pecans

1/2 cup coconut (optional)

1/2 cup – 1 cup raisins

1 medium-large orange, zested into batter, or about 2 tablespoons

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl blending with a whisk.  In a separate bowl bring the oil into the white and brown sugar, gradually add in the buttermilk and eggs.   Stir the mixture into the dry ingredients.  The carrots, pineapple, pecans, coconut, raisins and zest can be added into the batter at the very end.

To give your cake a little ‘kick’ consider soaking the raisins overnight in a nice rum before bringing them into the recipe.

When baking a tiered cake I usually start with 2 cups in each tier and then divide the remaining dough evenly.

Baking Times, Carrot Cake

9 x 13 or (3) nine inch rounds, greased

350 degrees for 35-40 minutes on 9 x 13 pan

About 25 minutes for 9 inch rounds.

Cream Cheese Icing

(Make one batch for a 9 x 13, two batches for tiered cakes.)
2 cups powdered sugar (one pound)

1/2 stick softened butter (1/4 cup)

8 ounces softened cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

Orange Zest to taste, approx. 2 teaspoons

Additional Pecans to sprinkle over icing, if desired

9 x 13 or (3) nine inch rounds, greased

350 degrees for 35-40 minutes on 9 x 13 pan

About 25 minutes for 9 inch rounds.

When I wrote this recipe I had been asked repetitively by guests for more whole wheat flour in baking.  Thus the reason for going in this direction.  Feel free to remove it and use entirely white flour.  The outcome has been a very delicious carrot cake.  Just promise me you’ll give me call when you make one so I can come over for a slice!!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here