As applicable for casual occasions as it is for ones of a more celebratory nature, carrot cake seems closest to being generally welcomed as a safe bet for satisfying the palate of many. I have yet to meet anyone strictly opposed to carrot cake, whereas I know many who grimace at the mere mention of red velvet. I guess the only other seasonally-impartial classic could be coconut. All that aside, I don’t think anyone would bat an eyelash when handed a petit-four-sized slice of carrot cake alongside a flowing flute of champagne. It's all in the presentation, right?
On the topic of ingredients and seasonal versatility, I’ve decided to leave out the more traditional, commonly contested fruits, nuts, or spices. I’d like to think of this recipe as your blank canvas carrot cake, one each party can customize to their preferences. And honestly, the pineapple debate has become passé, no longer culturally relevant as I feel (or hope) we’ve all grown tired of yucking another person’s yums. That being said, we all know I tend to take creative liberty on every recipe I attempt to follow, which is why I hope whoever makes this cake does as well. Brighten with ginger, candied or fresh, citrus zest of any sort, freshly grated apples, fennel, or pear for springtime, or add warmth for holidays and colder months with dried fruits, toasted nuts, seeds, and heavy spices like nutmeg, cardamom, white pepper, maybe even rosemary?
I wouldn’t consider this particular bake beautiful but I was surprised how much I ended up liking the blushing “brushstrokes” if you will that certainly weren’t to hide any miscalibrated drips… a cranberry + pink pearl apple compote with some of spicewalla ‘s mulling spice blend fostered my attempt at imparting a festive flavor. It wouldn’t be a holiday cake without some sparkle, and candied cranberries were in order to carry out the cheer (and distract from the “rustic” application of too small a batch of vanilla + ginger swiss meringue buttercream).
I hope everyone has a wonderful evening, whether you're going big or hanging at home– I’m thinking optimistically and openly, attempting to put aside the fears and replacing them with excitement for the lack of certainty or knowing in what’s to come. Cheers friends.
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg*
¼ tsp cardamom*
2 ½ cups finely shredded carrots
¾ cup of vegetable oil
¾ cup yogurt, plain
1 tsp citrus zest*
1tsp fresh grated ginger*
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
⅔ cup sugar
⅓ cup brown sugar
½ cup toasted, roughly chopped nuts*
*optional, take creative liberty as I mentioned prior with your nuts, fruits, and spices
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9" cake pans and then line each base with a circle of parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar, brown sugar, and oil until combined.
On medium speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing till fully incorporated before adding the next.
Beat in the vanilla, yogurt, and zest, till fully combined.
Reduce the speed to low and add half of the flour mix to the wet batter. Mix till smooth, then add in the rest, and repeat.
With a spatula, gently fold in the carrot and any nuts or fruits you wish to add, being sure it’s evenly dispersed.
Evenly divide the batter between the cake pans (I like to use a kitchen scale to compare weights for an even cook time), smooth the tops, and bake for 35-40 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean and the tops have turned slightly golden. Let the cakes cool completely in their pans.
Frost with your favorite cream cheese buttercream, or a batch of swiss meringue. A simple powdered sugar glaze is also lovely for more relaxed installments.
Here are my go-tos:
Cream cheese buttercream (an Ottolenghi variation lightened with whipping cream from one of my favorite cookbooks, Sweet)
Swiss meringue buttercream (the first and only recipe I’ve used for SMBC– Thanks Sally!)
