Waiter, There's Something In My...Carrot Cake!

The cakes here in Peru are often too fruity and too moist. I enjoy making queques that make people here exclaim, "Que rico!" because they simply have never tasted it before. I have made cakes with sweet potatoes, zucchini, banana and things of the like. But, never have I baked a carrot cake here in Peru. Most think I am rather strange for wanting to add vegetables to my cakes, but they usually love it in the end!

This month's "Waiter, There's Something In My..." features layered cakes and is being hosted by Spitoon Extra. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to create a layered version of carrot cake. Oh, what with the Peruvians think of me now!

Layered Carrot Cake

8 tablespoons of butter, softened
1 cup of azucar rubia (or half white, half brown)
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 cups, minus 2 tablespoons of flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of wheat germ
3/4 cup of buttermilk or plain drinkable yogurt
2 cups of finely shredded carrot

Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray; line bottom of pan with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray and set aside.

Place butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed for 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until pale and fluffy. Beat in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Add wheat germ and stir together with a whisk. Add half of flour mixture to sugar mixture, followed by batter into prepared pan. Sharply tap once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350F for buttermilk, then remaining flour mixture; mixing after each addition. Stir in carrot. Spoon 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack, remove from pan. Carefully peel off wax paper; cool completely on wire rack.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup of cream cheese
1/2 cup of butter, softened
2 teaspoons of orange juice
3 cups of powdered sugar, sifted

To prepare the frosting, place the cream cheese, butter, and orange juice in a large bowl; mix with a mixer until smooth. Gradually add 2 cups of powdered sugar, beating at a low speed until smooth (do not over beat). Stir in remaining cup of powdered sugar. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

Assembly: Cut cake in half lengthwise, slice both parts through the middle lengthwise. Layer cake with frosting. Spread frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Store loosely covered in the refrigerator. Serves 16. Adapted from Cooking Light.


Torta de Zanahoria

100g de mantequilla, ablandado
1 taza de azucar rubia
2 huevos
2 claras de huevos
2 cucharitas de vanilla
2 tazas, menos 2 cucharadas, de harina sin preparar
2 cucharitas de bicarbonato
1 cucharita de canela en polvo
1/2 cucharita de nuez moscada
1/4 cucharita de clavo de olor molido
1/4 cucharita de sal
1/4 taza de germen de trigo
3/4 taza de yogurt natural
2 tazas de zanahoria rayada finamente

Precalentar el horno a 190C. Engrase un fuente mediano; cubre con papel encerado. Engrase el papel y ponlo a un lado.

En un tazon grande, combina la mantequilla y azucar; batiendolos por 5 minutos. Agrega los huevos y las claras, uno por uno, batiendo bien despues cada uno. Agrega la vanilla, mezclando todo.

En un tazon mediano, tamice la harina, bicarbonato, canela, nuez moscada, clavo de olor y sal. Agrega el germen de trigo, mezclando todo. Agrega la mitad de la mezcla de harina a la mezcla de azucar, despues el yogurt, despues el resto de la harina; mezclando despues de cada uno. Agrega la zanahoria. Hecha la masa al fuente preparado. Golpe fuerte la fuente, una vez, para sacar burbujas. Hornealo a 190C por 25-30 minutos o hasta que un palito de madera insertada sale limpio. Una vez sacado del horno, dejalo enfriar por 10 minutos encima de una parilla de metal. Remueve de su fuente con cuidado, quita el papel encerado y dejalo enfriar completamente.

Crema de Filadelfia a la Naranja

1 taza de queso filadelfia
1/2 taza de mantequilla, ablandada
2 cucharitas de jugo de naranja
300g de azucar inpalpable

Ponga el queso, mantequilla y jugo en un tazon grande; mezcla con mezcladora hasta que la crema esta suave. Poco a poco, agrega 2/3 del azucar, batiendolo despacio hasta que este suave. Agrega el resto del azucar. Cubre y dejalo en el refrigeradora por 30 minutos.

Para montaje: Corte la torta por la mitad (del ancho) a lo largo, corta los dos lados por la mitad (del alto). Haga capas con la torta y la crema. Hecha la crema por encima y por los lados. Guardalo en la refrigeradora, cubierta ligeramente.