The smack down winning recipe.....
FINALLY!
To those who care...
This is an awesome carrot cake - not to sweet, groovy ginger flavoring. Currants add a nice touch.
Carrot-Ginger Layer Cake
8 servings
1 lb carrots (about 4 lg) peeled, cut into ½ inch pieces
¾ cup buttermilk
2 cups sugar
4 XL eggs
3 T minced peeled fresh ginger
¾ C vegetable oil
1 t vanilla extract
1 t grated orange peel
3 C unbleached all purpose flour
2 t baking soda
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1 t (scant) salt
½ C dried currants
Ginger Cream Cheese Icing (recipe follows)
Grated carrots and sweetened shredded coconut for garnish (optional)
Place carrots in heavy saucepan. Add enough water to cover. Simmer until carrots are very tender and all water evaporates, about 35 minutes.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350degrees. Grease and flour 3 (three) 9-inch-diameter cake pans. Transfer carrot pieces to food processor. Add buttermilk; puree until smooth. Pour into bowl. Beat in sugar, eggs and fresh ginger. Mix in oil, vanilla and peel. Sift in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger and salt. Stir until just combined. Add currants.
Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Invert onto racks and cool completely.
Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread top with 1 cup frosting. Top with second layer and spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining layer. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides, swirling decoratively. Garnish with grated carrots and coconut if desired. Chill until frosting sets, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Let stand at room temp for 30 minutes before serving.)
Ginger Cream Cheese Icing
5 large crystallized ginger slices
2T plus 2 Cups powdered sugar
1 lb cream cheese, room temp
¾ C (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 ½ t ground ginger
¼ t vanilla extract
Place crystallized ginger on work surface; sprinkle with 2 T sugar. Finely chop ginger. Using electric mixer beat cream cheese and butter in bowl until fluffy. Beat in 2 cups sugar, crystallized ginger, ground ginger and vanilla.
(If too runny to ice cake, chill for a few minutes to firm up. If icing is really loose, the layers will slide and not stack neatly)
This recipe is from Bon Appetit, December 1993 (yes, I still have the original...)
To those who care...
This is an awesome carrot cake - not to sweet, groovy ginger flavoring. Currants add a nice touch.
Carrot-Ginger Layer Cake
8 servings
1 lb carrots (about 4 lg) peeled, cut into ½ inch pieces
¾ cup buttermilk
2 cups sugar
4 XL eggs
3 T minced peeled fresh ginger
¾ C vegetable oil
1 t vanilla extract
1 t grated orange peel
3 C unbleached all purpose flour
2 t baking soda
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1 t (scant) salt
½ C dried currants
Ginger Cream Cheese Icing (recipe follows)
Grated carrots and sweetened shredded coconut for garnish (optional)
Place carrots in heavy saucepan. Add enough water to cover. Simmer until carrots are very tender and all water evaporates, about 35 minutes.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350degrees. Grease and flour 3 (three) 9-inch-diameter cake pans. Transfer carrot pieces to food processor. Add buttermilk; puree until smooth. Pour into bowl. Beat in sugar, eggs and fresh ginger. Mix in oil, vanilla and peel. Sift in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger and salt. Stir until just combined. Add currants.
Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Invert onto racks and cool completely.
Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread top with 1 cup frosting. Top with second layer and spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining layer. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides, swirling decoratively. Garnish with grated carrots and coconut if desired. Chill until frosting sets, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Let stand at room temp for 30 minutes before serving.)
Ginger Cream Cheese Icing
5 large crystallized ginger slices
2T plus 2 Cups powdered sugar
1 lb cream cheese, room temp
¾ C (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 ½ t ground ginger
¼ t vanilla extract
Place crystallized ginger on work surface; sprinkle with 2 T sugar. Finely chop ginger. Using electric mixer beat cream cheese and butter in bowl until fluffy. Beat in 2 cups sugar, crystallized ginger, ground ginger and vanilla.
(If too runny to ice cake, chill for a few minutes to firm up. If icing is really loose, the layers will slide and not stack neatly)
This recipe is from Bon Appetit, December 1993 (yes, I still have the original...)