The Art and Science Behind an Extraordinary Carrot Cake
I subscribe to a terrific site, Baking Sense: The Art and Science of Baking (www.baking-sense.com). Yesterday Eileen Gray (site author, owner, and baker extraordinaire) sent a post on ways to improve carrot cake.
Eileen’s says one of her favorite things to do as a baker is to take a mediocre or even “pretty good” recipe and make it better. She specializes in small changes, because as she says, “Often the smallest changes can make a huge difference in the outcome.” As I read this, I was intrigued, because I thought my carrot cake was “pretty good.” So, I wanted to see what I could learn about something I thought I had down pat.
Eileen says success is dependent not just on excellent ingredients, but HOW these ingredients are put together. She maintains this is especially true when it comes to carrot cake—here the HOWs make all the difference. How a recipe is mixed, and how ingredients are handled can transform baking. The end goal with carrot cake is a crumb that’s super moist (without being gooey), a lovely soft texture, and a vibrant fresh color (true orange).
On this post, she also included what she considers to be the very best carrot cake recipe EVER, and she elaborated why. She says, “Most carrot cakes add thick shreds of carrot, coarsely chopped nuts and big raisins. The result is a cake with a chunky-lumpy texture. This recipe overcomes these drawbacks through some unusual (according to typical carrot cake recipe instructions) techniques.”
Eileen concluded her carrot cake tutorial with some specific ingredient tips that I found to be extra helpful as well:
CARROTS. In this recipe the carrots are finely grated, just shy of becoming a puree. The pulverized carrots release lots of juice so the resulting cake is extra moist, extra flavorful and is a beautiful deep orange color.
CURRANTS. Although optional, they add a pleasant sweetness and moisture to the cake. Currants are substituted for raisins because they’re much smaller than raisins, so they don’t detract from the cake’s texture. Soaking them in warm water softens to the point that they almost blend into the cake. The pre-plumped currants won’t draw moisture from the batter.
WALNUTS. Also optional, but the walnuts are finely grated to maintain fine texture. When finely grated, the nuts can be more evenly distributed throughout the cake so the crumb remains soft and delicate rather than coarse and chunky. (Pecans are a good substitution.)
LEMON EXTRACT. Sparks the flavor of the cake.
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR. All-purpose flour is a medium protein flour that has enough gluten to allow the moist batter to rise in the oven without collapsing, but not so much protein that the cake becomes tough.
OIL. Coats the flour proteins better than butter. A cake made with oil will be more tender than one made with butter. [Alice: I didn’t know this about butter. And this is the one piece of her advice that I’m struggling to take, as I have such a strong prejudice against oil and for butter. BUT, I want to be teachable…sigh.]
Now Eileen’s recipe and detailed instructions. It’s going to be snowing all day today, so I think it’s an opportune time to give this to give it a try. And a big “Thank you!” to her for sharing the art and science behind an extraordinary carrot cake! See what you think:
1 cup currants (5 ounces)
1 pound fresh carrots
1 cup walnuts (4 ounces)
2 cups all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (9 ounces)
1 cup granulated sugar (8 ounces)
1 cup brown sugar (8 ounces)
4 large eggs (at room temperature)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (your favorite)
4 ounces finely chopped walnuts for decorating (optional)
Directions:
Add Recipe to Cook'n
Eileen’s says one of her favorite things to do as a baker is to take a mediocre or even “pretty good” recipe and make it better. She specializes in small changes, because as she says, “Often the smallest changes can make a huge difference in the outcome.” As I read this, I was intrigued, because I thought my carrot cake was “pretty good.” So, I wanted to see what I could learn about something I thought I had down pat.
Eileen says success is dependent not just on excellent ingredients, but HOW these ingredients are put together. She maintains this is especially true when it comes to carrot cake—here the HOWs make all the difference. How a recipe is mixed, and how ingredients are handled can transform baking. The end goal with carrot cake is a crumb that’s super moist (without being gooey), a lovely soft texture, and a vibrant fresh color (true orange).
On this post, she also included what she considers to be the very best carrot cake recipe EVER, and she elaborated why. She says, “Most carrot cakes add thick shreds of carrot, coarsely chopped nuts and big raisins. The result is a cake with a chunky-lumpy texture. This recipe overcomes these drawbacks through some unusual (according to typical carrot cake recipe instructions) techniques.”
Eileen concluded her carrot cake tutorial with some specific ingredient tips that I found to be extra helpful as well:
CARROTS. In this recipe the carrots are finely grated, just shy of becoming a puree. The pulverized carrots release lots of juice so the resulting cake is extra moist, extra flavorful and is a beautiful deep orange color.
CURRANTS. Although optional, they add a pleasant sweetness and moisture to the cake. Currants are substituted for raisins because they’re much smaller than raisins, so they don’t detract from the cake’s texture. Soaking them in warm water softens to the point that they almost blend into the cake. The pre-plumped currants won’t draw moisture from the batter.
WALNUTS. Also optional, but the walnuts are finely grated to maintain fine texture. When finely grated, the nuts can be more evenly distributed throughout the cake so the crumb remains soft and delicate rather than coarse and chunky. (Pecans are a good substitution.)
LEMON EXTRACT. Sparks the flavor of the cake.
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR. All-purpose flour is a medium protein flour that has enough gluten to allow the moist batter to rise in the oven without collapsing, but not so much protein that the cake becomes tough.
OIL. Coats the flour proteins better than butter. A cake made with oil will be more tender than one made with butter. [Alice: I didn’t know this about butter. And this is the one piece of her advice that I’m struggling to take, as I have such a strong prejudice against oil and for butter. BUT, I want to be teachable…sigh.]
Now Eileen’s recipe and detailed instructions. It’s going to be snowing all day today, so I think it’s an opportune time to give this to give it a try. And a big “Thank you!” to her for sharing the art and science behind an extraordinary carrot cake! See what you think:
Eileen Gray's BEST Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup currants (5 ounces)
1 pound fresh carrots
1 cup walnuts (4 ounces)
2 cups all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (9 ounces)
1 cup granulated sugar (8 ounces)
1 cup brown sugar (8 ounces)
4 large eggs (at room temperature)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (your favorite)
4 ounces finely chopped walnuts for decorating (optional)
Directions:
CAKE BATTER
1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line three 8"x3" round cake pans with parchment paper, or butter and flour the pans.
2. Place currants in a small bowl and pour enough hot water over to cover. Set aside for 20 minutes to plump. Grind all carrots in a food processor fitted with a blade until finely ground. Transfer carrots to a medium bowl. Grind 1 cup walnuts in the food processor until finely ground. Add nuts to the bowl with the carrots.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, teaspoon nutmeg and teaspoon salt. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a mixing bowl combine vegetable oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar; mix on low speed until it resembles applesauce. With the mixer running on low, add eggs, vanilla extract and lemon extract. Mix until the batter is smooth and emulsified.
5. Add carrots and walnuts. Drain the water from currents; add them to the batter. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, scraping the bowl in between. Mix until completely combined.
6. Divide the batter evenly between 3 prepared cake pans. Bake until the cake springs back when lightly pressed or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. (If you bake 2 layers, bake time will likely increase.)
7. Turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack and cool completely (see note 2)
ASSEMBLY
Set aside half the frosting to ice the cake. Place one cake layer, flat side down, on the serving platter. Spread 1/2 of the remaining frosting over the layer. Repeat with the 2nd layer. Place the third layer, flat side up, on top.
1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting:
Ice the cake with a very thin layer of frosting. This is called the "crumb coat". Refrigerate the cake to set the crumb coat.
Ice the cake with a final coating. Press ground walnuts onto the sides of the cake. Chill to set the cake.
1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line three 8"x3" round cake pans with parchment paper, or butter and flour the pans.
2. Place currants in a small bowl and pour enough hot water over to cover. Set aside for 20 minutes to plump. Grind all carrots in a food processor fitted with a blade until finely ground. Transfer carrots to a medium bowl. Grind 1 cup walnuts in the food processor until finely ground. Add nuts to the bowl with the carrots.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, teaspoon nutmeg and teaspoon salt. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a mixing bowl combine vegetable oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar; mix on low speed until it resembles applesauce. With the mixer running on low, add eggs, vanilla extract and lemon extract. Mix until the batter is smooth and emulsified.
5. Add carrots and walnuts. Drain the water from currents; add them to the batter. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, scraping the bowl in between. Mix until completely combined.
6. Divide the batter evenly between 3 prepared cake pans. Bake until the cake springs back when lightly pressed or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. (If you bake 2 layers, bake time will likely increase.)
7. Turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack and cool completely (see note 2)
ASSEMBLY
Set aside half the frosting to ice the cake. Place one cake layer, flat side down, on the serving platter. Spread 1/2 of the remaining frosting over the layer. Repeat with the 2nd layer. Place the third layer, flat side up, on top.
1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting:
Ice the cake with a very thin layer of frosting. This is called the "crumb coat". Refrigerate the cake to set the crumb coat.
Ice the cake with a final coating. Press ground walnuts onto the sides of the cake. Chill to set the cake.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Alice Osborne
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com
