Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese frosting

Hesitantly spring has sprung here; trees are beginning to green as tiny buds of leaves ornate the branches! Blooms of daffodils have painted yellow everywhere and air is fresh with promise!! Spring is definitely my favourite season of the year. Days are much longer now and we love spending our days outside on weekends.

 It’s almost Easter now and our school is breaking up for Easter holidays on Friday. To join the holiday spirit and spread some love I decided to bake a carrot cake last weekend and take to work. It was enjoyed by everyone who got a share of it! In fact it went down way too quickly and I couldn’t share it with everyone. I was asked for the recipe and hence the posting it here quickly. . I wonder why carrot cake is related to Easter? Does anyone know why? Nonetheless here goes the recipe….

Recipe source – Joy of baking

Ingredients

Plain flour – 2 cup/ 260 gm

Baking powder - 1 ½ tsp

Baking soda – ½ tsp

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Ground cinnamon – 1 ½ tsp

Carrot – 2 large / 2 ½ cup finely grated

Oil ( any flavourless ) – 1 cup

Eggs – 4 large

Granulated white sugar – 1 ½ cup/300 gm

Vanilla extract – 2 tsp

Walnuts –   1 cup/ 100 gm

Method

• Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt in a bowl, sieve it and keep it aside
• Break the eggs into a bowl and beat it with an electric mixer for about 1 minute until it’s frothy.
• Gradually add sugar and beat for 3-4 minutes until its thick and light coloured.
• Add oil, vanilla extract and beat until mixed.
• Add flour mixture and beat until just mixed.
• Add grated carrot, chopped nuts and fold in.
• Pour the batter into greased   two 9 inch cake tins and bake it in a preheated oven 180 degree Celsius for 25- 30 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

Recipe source - Nisha

Cream cheese frosting

Cream cheese- 225 gm

Vanilla extract- 1 tsp

Icing sugar- 1 cup

Double cream-   1 cup

Method

• Add Cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat for a minute until it’s soft.
• Add vanilla extract, sugar and beat until sugar mixed.
• Add cold double cream and beat to get a smooth spreadable consistency.

 Assembling

• Place the first layer of  cake onto a cake stand and spread the half of the icing on top
• Place the second layer on top and sandwich them. Spread the remaining icing on top.
• Decorate as per your liking, I kept it simple and just spread some walnuts on top.