A moist cake, full of carrots, walnuts and raisins.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1½ packed cups coarsely grated carrots
- 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- ⅓ cup raisins
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 2/3cups icing sugar
- 1 egg white
- Orange liquid gel food coloring
- Unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
- Fresh rosemary leaves (optional)
- ¼ cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 3½ ounces plain cream cheese
- ¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the eggs and both sugars together until pale in color. Blend in the cooled melted butter.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger. Sift the dry mixture into the egg mixture and stir until you have a smooth batter. Add the grated carrots. You can toss the walnuts and raisins with 1 tablespoon flour before you fold them into the batter with a rubber spatula— this will prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake for 30 to 40 minutes on the middle rack of the oven. To test if the cake is done, stick a toothpick in the middle—if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
5. Remove the cake from the oven and loosen it from the pan. Turn the cake out onto a wire rack covered with parchment paper. Let the cake cool before you cut it horizontally into two layers.
Walnut marzipan carrots
1. Grind the walnuts and almonds in a nut grinder. Mix in the icing sugar and grind one more time. Add the egg white and work the mixture together. Add a few drops of orange food coloring until the marzipan is the color of carrots.
2. Roll out short marzipan carrots. Stand them up and use a knife to cut little transverse stripes. Brush with a little cocoa powder if you want “dirt” on the carrots. Make a small hole at the top of each carrot with a toothpick and insert a few rosemary leaves.
Cream cheese filling and nut topping
1. In a bowl, using a handheld mixer, whip together the butter, icing sugar and cream cheese. Spread the cream over the bottom layer of the cake and top with the second layer.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together the walnuts and maple syrup, then cover the top of the cake with the walnut mixture. Place the carrots on the cake as the picture shows. Serve the rest of the carrots on the side.
About this recipe
Excerpted with permission from Bakeland: Nordic Treats Inspired by Nature by Marit Hovland, foreword by Trine Hahnemann (Greystone Books, 2018).
