Yes, Easter is old news, but substitute stencil of your choice and make for any occasion. Or, if you do not have an artistic husband who can draw Easter bunnies on demand, skip the picture all together...it is carrot cake, it's good on it's own.
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe from Baking Illustrated
Serves 10-12
Cake
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 pound (6-7 medium) carrots, peeled
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed (3 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened but still cool
5 tbsp unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 tbsp sour cream (I used yogurt)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) confectioner's sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 by 9 inch
baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a medium bowl.
In a food processor, shred the carrots (you should have about 3 cups); add the carrots to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Wipe out the food processor and put in the metal blade. Process both sugars and the eggs until frothy and combined, about 20 seconds. with the machine running, add the oil in a steady stream. Process until the mixture is light and colored and well emulsified,
about 20 seconds longer. Scrape into a large bowl.
Stir in the carrots and dry ingredients until no streaks of flour remain. Pour into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 35-40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
To make the frosting, process the cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla until combined, about 5 seconds, scraping down as needed.
Add the sugar an process until smooth.
Recipe from Baking Illustrated
Serves 10-12
Cake
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 pound (6-7 medium) carrots, peeled
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed (3 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened but still cool
5 tbsp unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 tbsp sour cream (I used yogurt)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) confectioner's sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 by 9 inch
baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a medium bowl.
In a food processor, shred the carrots (you should have about 3 cups); add the carrots to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Wipe out the food processor and put in the metal blade. Process both sugars and the eggs until frothy and combined, about 20 seconds. with the machine running, add the oil in a steady stream. Process until the mixture is light and colored and well emulsified,
about 20 seconds longer. Scrape into a large bowl.
Stir in the carrots and dry ingredients until no streaks of flour remain. Pour into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 35-40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
To make the frosting, process the cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla until combined, about 5 seconds, scraping down as needed.
Add the sugar an process until smooth.
As you can see below, we taped dried spaghetti to the bunny outline, which was drawn on regular paper, for support. We then placed two noodles over the pan and laid the paper over the noodles so that they would not touch the icing. We then sifted ground cinnamon over the outline.
Are you impressed? I was.
impressed, I am...
ReplyDeleteLove it! How clever :o) Will remember it for my next carrot cake.
ReplyDelete