A classic carrot cake is a cake whose history has come full circle and which caused many to commit culinary sins along the way. Sometimes it’s flavorless, other times it has a dense, gooey texture. You may have eaten it paired with an over-sweetened frosting which tastes like cotton candy, or, worst of all, completely without any frosting. To every person guilty of these mistakes: how dare you. I propose a cake baked as a loaf (officially repurposing it into a bread). Fluffy, spicy, and covered with a light, honey frosting that you’ll never have enough of.
Carrot Bread with Honey Frosting
makes one 8.5 x 22 cm (4 x 8 inch) loaf
Cake
1 ¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoons cardamom
¾ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
50 butter, melted
¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
3 – 4 carrots (300 g), grated on large holes
½ cup (70 g) walnuts or pecans
Honey frosting
250 g cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Lightly butter a loaf tin; line with baking paper.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and salt in a large bowl. Beat the eggs with the sugar. Stir in the butter, oil, and then the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, combine just until blended. Whisk in the carrots and walnuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin.
3. Bake about 70 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the tin for 15 minutes; then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
4. Using a spoon, combine the cream cheese with honey and vanilla extract. Spread over the cake. Drizzle with extra honey and a pinch of cinnamon. Eat at least two slices at once.
Share a picture of your dish with me on Instagram by tagging #rozkoszny @rozkoszny which will help me to find you. Smacznego!
Yours,
Rozkoszny
