So the last couple of days my nose has been dug deep to come up with carrot cake recipe that would please. Now as much as I love to bake, I do have to admit to you all that I am not a natural baker. I don’t just whip up cake/dessert recipes in my sleep. I don’t mind following other bakers recipes but somehow that feels like cheating.
So, it takes me a LOT of time to figure out how to change up a recipe so as to make it mine. And guys if I can do it anyone can. This also has to do with the fact that in savoury Indian cooking, nothing is about precision when it comes to the ingredients. A little bit of this and a lot of that is usually how it goes. I know I can’t do that with baking. Baking is about logic, science and precision. All of the things I am not!
I’m an instinct trusting kind of girl. Therefore the problem with baking. And I would give it up if I didn’t love it so much. Because oh dear Lord, I do love it, a LOT!
When one of the layers was baking, I kid you not, I was nervous as hell. The baking time needed to be right as of course the stuff that went into the pan. 🙂
Ok, when I tasted this cake, I was so giddy with happiness and did such a silly victory dance… ha it was funny. I should’ve recorded it.
If I could be so bold as to say this cake is THE perfect carrot cake. It is melt-in-mouth moist. It has crunchy toasted coconut. It is stuffed with, inside and out with chai infused pecans (which btw you could just make a ton of and keep as a snack!), soaked in sweetened fresh orange juice AND has the most delicious, delicious mascarpone cinnamon frosting.
OMG! if you don’t try making this cake you’re seriously missing out!
- For the Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 185 grams dark brown sugar
- 50 grams toasted coconut
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tsp dry ground ginger
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1¼ tsp baking powder
- 420 grams carrots, shredded
- zest of 1 orange
- 1½ cups sunflower oil
- 3 bags of black tea
- 50 grams + 50 grams (for the decoration) chai infused pecans, chopped roughly (recipe below)
- For the Chai Infused Pecans
- 100 grams pecans
- 1 tbsp butter
- 5-6 cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp dry ground ginger
- ½ tsp cinnamon powder
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- 3 tbsps sugar
- For the Syrup
- Juice of 1 orange
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 75 grams dark brown sugar
- For the Mascarpone Frosting
- 500 grams mascarpone
- 1 tsp cinammon
- 2 tbsps milk
- 1 tbsp cane or plain sugar
- To prepare the chai infused pecans, preheat oven to 165°C/330°F. In a pan melt the butter. Add all the spices and let the butter soak in the spices for about 2 minutes. Next add the sugar and stir till dissolved. Add the chopped pecans and coat with mixture.
- On a tray lined with baking paper, toast the pecans for 7-8 minutes. Take and out and let cool completely.
- For the syrup, whisk all the ingredients and set aside.
- For the mascarpone frosting, whisk the cheese with the cinnamon, sugar and milk till light and fluffy. Chill till needed.
- For the cake preheat oven to 170°C/340°F.
- Begin first by heating the oil on medium gas with the tea bags, for 2-3 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Place the sugar, eggs and the tea infused oil in a bowl and whisk till sugar is completely dissolved, around 2-3 minutes.
- Next sift the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix it all in gently.
- Fold in the wet mix with the flour mix. And then the shredded carrots, the toasted coconut and the 50 grams of chai infused pecans.
- Pour the mix into your prepared baking tins. I used 2, 6 inch pans, which gave me 4 layers since I like my cakes small and high. You could also use a 8 inch pan which will give you two layers.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes of still a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the centre of the cake.
- As soon as the cakes come out, stab them with the skewer and divide the syrup between layers and soak the layers.
- Cool completely.
- To put the cake together. Place one layer on a cake stand/server and divide the frosting between layers depending on how many you choose to make. Placing on top of every layer till you have just enough to cover the sides of the cake.
- Decorate the cake with the rest of the 50 grams of chai infused pecans.
- In my opinion this cake is best eaten next day when the syrup has permeated every inch!
- Serve with some hot hot chai.
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Wow, your description of the cake sounds mouthwatering! The chai-infused pecans do sound like a delicious snack, wish I had some 😛 Love all the elements you incorporated into this cake!
Thank you so much June! I really wanted this to be a chai infused cake, from top to bottom! 🙂
Rakhee, what a stunning carrot cake! The flavors sound wonderful! I love the addition of coconut and those chai infused pecans sound delightful! My son’s favorite cake has always been carrot cake, so this will be created at my house for sure! Well done!
Thank you very much Mary Ann! The coconut in the cake is so refreshing and you feel the crunch in your mouth with every mouthful. My kid loves coconut! 🙂 How wonderful that yours loves carrot cake, and since he does, this cake is a must make! 🙂
The cake I’m sure tastes amazing with all the great flavors but, I cannot get over the mystical pictures here. Simply beautiful.
Great one my friend.
Thanks so much Ash! I loved reading your new post… honest my friend it brought tears to my eyes…
Rakhee this is such a stunning cake!! Love the chai twist you gave to normal regular carrot cake!! GENIUS & your photography makes me day dream!! Pinning!
Thank you so much Ami! <3
All the flavours described made me drool allover my computer even before I got to the recipe, which is a pure genius!!! My father-in-law loves carrot cake, and you can guess which recipe I am bookmarking right now to make for him 🙂
LOVE LOVE LOVEEEEEEE
Haha I totally know the drool-over-computer feeling! I do it often. 🙂 How sweet of you to make your father in law his favourite cake. You go girl! <3 Let me know how it turns out...
This cake is everything I ever wanted! Seriously it is absolutely perfect!!!!
Thank you so much Jocelyn!. Nice to see you here since I love your work! <3
Wow this cake is amazing! And your food styling and dark photography is once again totally on point. Love those food props and dishes in that last photo!
Thank you so much for your compliments Linda! I love your photography too! <3
The very sound of this cake makes me feel warm and snug and dream of good things. It looks stunning and I love the moody setting. Bookmarking the recipe…it’s a must make!
Doesn’t it Sonali?! This cake just brought back memories of my mom and India. We did so love carrot cake. Thank you for your compliments! <3