GLUTEN-FREE CARROT CAKE WITH GINGER CREAM CHEESE ICING,
Glacé Ginger and Candied Carrot Strips
Break out the cakes plates and forks, choose your best linen, dust off the fine china teacups and invite some of your favourite people for afternoon tea.
Whether you want to say ‘Welcome’, ‘Let’s celebrate’, ‘You’re special’ or ‘Thank you’ we have just the right the cake for the occasion.
Our luscious Carrot Cake with Ginger Cream Icing is easy to make, especially when prepared in stages over a day or two. It’s flavoured with ginger, cinnamon and Dutch cocoa and is moist and delicious.
Decorated with glacé ginger and vibrant candied carrot strips, or simply with fresh flowers or just plain icing, the cake looks impressive. Tell your guests ”I knew you were coming so I baked a cake.” They’ll love you – and the cake.
Caren.
CARROT CAKE WITH GINGER CREAM CHEESE ICING,
Glacé Ginger and Candied Carrot Strips
Serves 12+
300 gm Revenge Gluten-Free Almond Plain Flour Mix
1½ teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 heaped tablespoon Dutch processed cocoa
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
280 gm caster sugar
100 gm brown sugar
270 ml rice bran oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
450 gm peeled and grated carrot
Ginger Cream Cheese Icing (see below)
Candied Carrot Strips, optional (see below)
½ cup glacé ginger, in 1cm dice
Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease and line a deep 22cm round cake tin.
Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarb soda, salt, cocoa and spices.
Use an electric mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the sugars, oil, eggs and vanilla until thick and glossy. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Fold in grated carrot.
Pour into the prepared tin, smooth the top and bake for 70-75 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Loosely cover the top with foil if browning too quickly.
Cool in the tin for 5 minutes then invert onto a rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the Ginger Cream Cheese Icing, below.
Cut the cooled cake in half horizontally. Use a palette knife to spread a quarter of the icing over the cut surface. Place the other half of the cake on top. Spread the remaining icing over the side and top of the cake.
The iced cake can be refrigerated for a day before required. Remove from the fridge about an hour before serving and decorate with the glacé ginger pieces and Candied Carrot Strips if using.
Ginger Cream Cheese Icing
2 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
150 gm unsalted butter, room temperature
500 gm icing sugar, sifted
375 gm cream cheese, room temperature
Push the ginger through a fine sieve to produce 1 tablespoon of juice. Discard the solids. Use more ginger juice for a stronger flavour.
Use an electric mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the butter and icing sugar on slow for 3 minutes, then on medium until well combined. Add the cream cheese and continue beating for 2 minutes. Add the ginger juice and beat to combine.
Can be made and refrigerated for a day or two until required, but remove from the fridge 5 minutes before using to ice the cake.
Candied Carrot Strips
2 thick carrots
2 cups water
2 cups caster sugar
Preheat oven to 115°C. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper.
Peel and trim the carrots. Using a vegetable peeler, pare approximately 1.5cm x 12cm strips from the carrots. Do not use the core of the carrot.
Bring water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan, ensuring the sugar has dissolved. Add carrot strips and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Remove the strips from the liquid and lay them on the prepared trays. Discard the liquid.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove each strip to a cake rack to dry. Expect that some strips may break up or twist.
Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
TIPS:
Tie a piece of string around the centre of the cake as a guide when initially cutting the cake horizontally.
The cake can be simply filled and decorated with sweetened whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa.