CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING by Zyliss
Last week, we hosted Zyliss, innovative Swiss kitchenware brand, as they held the final of their 'Best Office Baker' competition, where Charlotte Dibble was crowned the winner.
Three finalists each made a carrot cake which was then judged by a panel of judges made up of award-winning food writer Jo Pratt, Divertimenti Cookery School’s Head Jules Kane, and Heidi Thomas, Head of Marketing at DK Household Brands.
The event was a delight and we would love to share with you all the Zyliss carrot cake recipe to try at home yourselves.
CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Makes 2 layer 20cm cake
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 225ml sunflower oil
- 150g soft light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 100g fine cut marmalade
- 275g self-raising flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 ½ tsp ground allspice
- ½ nutmeg, finely grated
- 1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 300g finely grated carrots
- 100g sultanas
- 40g desiccated coconut
For the frosting:
- 115g unsalted butter, at room
- temperature
- 115g icing sugar, sifted
- 230g full fat cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
Decoration of choice, for example:
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
- Caramelised nuts or praline
- Toasted coconut flakes
- Ground cinnamon or nutmeg
- Dried orange slices
- Candied orange peel
- Crystalised ginger
- Fondant carrots
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line the base of 2 x 20cm loose bottom cake tins with baking parchment.
2. To make the cake: whisk together the oil, brown sugar, eggs and marmalade until combined. Sift together the flour, spices and bicarbonate of soda and mix into the wet ingredients. Stir in the carrot, sultanas and desiccated coconut. Divide between the 2 tins and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Cool in the tins for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. To make the frosting: beat the butter for a minute or so until light in texture. Add the icing sugar and beat for about 5 minutes until you have a light creamy consistency. Add the cream cheese and vanilla paste, and beat to combine, making sure you don’t over beat the mixture. Keep cool while the cake is cooling.
4. To decorate: sandwich the two cakes together with some of the frosting and use the rest to decorate the rest of the cake on the sides and on top. Finish by adding any topping decoration you would like.
