This is a cake I have made lots of times but not since I closed my cafe and seeing the Signature challenge on the Bake Off this week made me dust off my notebook and make it again.
It’s a delicious carrot cake filled with orange blossom water cream cheese icing - I had forgotten how good it was!!
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Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees centigrade (150 fan) then grease and line three 8” cake tins.
Put the vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract in the bowl of a standmixer and whisk together.
Add the sugar, flour, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice, ginger, cinnamon, orange zest, carrots, pecans and sultanas to the egg mixture.
Mix until fully incorporated.
Divide the mixture equally between the three tins.
Place in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tins.
Next to make the icing cream the butter and icing sugar with the orange blossom water until light and fluffy.
Finally add the cream cheese so it is just incorporated- do not over mix or the icing will become too wet.
Take one of the cakes and place on a cake board, plate or stand you wish to serve it on.
Spread 1/3 of the icing on the cake, then place the next cake on top and spread with another 1/3 of icing.
Place the top layer on the cake and spread with the rest of the icing.
Decorate with crushed or whole pecans, make some carrot shapes or leave plain.
Carrot Cake with Orange Blossom Water & Cream
Sarah’s servings: 10-12
Sarah’s skill: Medium
Baking time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients
Cake
275g Vegetable Oil
3 Large eggs
1tsp Vanilla extract
275g Soft brown sugar
275g Self raising flour
1/2 tsp Ground Mixed spice
1/2 tsp Ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
Zest of an orange
300g Grated carrot
80g Chopped pecan nuts
100g Sultanas
Icing
150g Soft unsalted butter
150g Sieved Icing sugar
320g Tub Cream cheese
1 tsp Orange blossom water
50g Crushed pecans to decorate (optional)
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees centigrade (150 fan).
Grease and line three 8” cake tins.
Put the vegetable oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in the bowl of a standmixer and whisk together.
Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice, ginger, cinnamon, orange zest, carrots, pecans and sultanas and mix until fully incorporated.
Divide the mixture equally between the three tins and place in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tins.
Next to make the icing cream the butter and icing sugar with the orange blossom water until light and fluffy.
Finally add the cream cheese so it is just incorporated.
Take one of the cakes and place on a cake board, plate or stand you wish to serve it on.
Spread 1/3 of the icing on the cake, then place the next cake on top and spread with another 1/3 of icing.
Place the top layer on the cake and spread with the rest of the icing on the top and down the sides.
Decorate with crushed pecans, make some carrot shapes or leave plain.
Sarah’s extra slice……
You could use walnuts instead of pecan nuts if you prefer.
You can buy ready made carrot shapes in most supermarkets to decorate if required.
I used Orange blossom water in my icing but you could use vanilla extract if you don’t have any.