All Year Round Carrot Cake
A slice of cake is not just dessert after meals. It’s good any day, anytime.
During my university days, I worked part-time as front staff at a bakery. I sold a variety of breads, pastries, cake, sandwiches, and hot food. There was so much deliciousness all around me, that it was hard to choose what I thought was best. Almond croissants or Smartie cookies? Turkey sandwiches on fresh made bagels or a tower of meat lasagna? When I think back, the items that stood out to me the most had to be the cakes that were made in house.
One was a delectable strawberry cheesecake. It had a graham cracker base, creamy and dreamy NY-style cheesecake filling, and the most beautiful strawberries arranged in concentric circles on top. The owner made this cake when strawberries were at peak season and glazed them until they were shiny red jewels.
The other, my absolute favourite, was a four-layer carrot cake smothered in sweet yet tangy cream cheese icing. The thing that made this cake unique was that it was absolutely covered in whole toasted walnuts. The carrot cake itself was simple, an homage to carrots and warm spices. But the walnuts are what made this cake truly unique. This was my favourite cake of all time…until I came across a recipe for Pecan Carrot Cake.
Toasty crushed pecans are added to the dry ingredients. Grated carrots are mixed with fresh ginger and buttermilk to break them down just enough that you are left with a super luscious cake without any stringy bits. All the warm spices that I love are front and center. And as if this isn’t delightful enough, the cream cheese frosting is made with brown butter.
The first time I made this cake, I thought, “Will browning the butter really make that much difference?” I mean I know that brown butter is good and all, but it does add time to the process.
Do not make this icing without browning that butter.
It adds a level of savoury depth that I cannot define in words. You also get this beautiful speckled icing and it just looks like a work of art. This cake never lets me down. I have eaten it at breakfast, lunch, at tea-time and at dinner. It also feels just as special during the spring and summer months. I don’t believe in limiting fall flavours to fall and winter.
Nobody puts carrot cake in a corner.