For an interesting twist on Chocolate Birthday Cake, try this rustic Chocolate Carrot Cake
If you're reading this, perhaps you know about my deep love of carrot cake. Moist and mildly spiced, with rich cream cheese icing, carrot cake is unpretentious and uniquely comforting.
I recently borrowed Scotto Sunday Suppers from the library and found several tantalizing Italian recipes, swinging between the classic and the unconventional. I plan on making several of their recipes, including their Maple and Bourbon Glazed Roast Pork Loin, and their Pistachio-Crusted Sea Bass with Salsa Verde. In the dessert section, I discovered Chocolate Carrot Cake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting. Luckily we had two friends with birthdays the next week.
This is a rustic two layer cake, and the rich frosting really sweetens up the dessert. The layer of frosting in the middle of the cake looks beautiful when you cut into it (unfortunately I don't have a picture of the inside, but check out the cookbook for a gorgeous photo!). The grated carrots just melt into the batter, and help to keep it moist. Make sure eggs, butter, and cream cheese are room temperature before starting.
Chocolate Carrot Cake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
12 servings
Ingredients
For the Cake
8 eggs
3 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 cups grated carrots
For the Frosting
1 cup butter
1 lb powdered sugar
2 cups cream cheese
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 lb white chocolate, melted and cooled
1. Make the cake. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 10-inch cake pans. In a standing mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on high speed until the mixture is pale yellow and tripled in volume. Gradually add the oil with the mixer running.
2. Sift together the dry ingredients and stir into the egg mixture (folding gently to hold the volume). Fold in the carrots. Pour batter into the two prepared cake pans. Bake for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
3. Make the Frosting. Cream the butter and sugar in a standing mixer. Add the cream cheese a little at a time. Mix in the vanilla and white chocolate.
4. After the cake cools, frost the cake. Place the bottom layer on your serving plate. Frost the center of the cake, then add the top layer. Frost the top and outside of the cake generously.
