GINGERY CARROT CAKE WITH PINEAPPLE AND CASHEWS
SERVES 12 (MAKES ONE 9-INCH LAYER CAKE; 5 MG THC PER SERVING)
IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO MAKE A SPECIAL OCCASION even more special, a showstopper cake like this one with an extra secret ingredient is just what you need. Cake is really easy to enhance with Herb—just replace some of the butter or oil in the recipe with CannaButter or CannaOil and you’re good to go. Cashews and crystallized ginger give the cake extra richness and a bit of sweet heat. The middle layer gets a special addition of pineapple in the cream cheese frosting. I like how it breaks up the layers and adds a touch of sweet-sour to the cake.
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large cage-free eggs
1¾ cups packed dark brown sugar
6 medium carrots (12 ounces), peeled and grated (about 2 cups)
1 cup finely chopped roasted cashews
½ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
⅔ cup pineapple juice (from one drained 8-ounce can crushed pineapple; save the pineapple for the frosting)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons CannaOil or CannaButter
FROSTING
2¼ sticks (9 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¼ pounds (two 8-ounce bricks plus 2 tablespoons) cream cheese, at room temperature
2¼ cups powdered sugar, sifted
Drained canned crushed pineapple (from one 8-ounce can)
1½ cups finely chopped roasted cashews
6 pieces crystallized ginger, halved
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Set one of the pans on top of a doubled piece of parchment paper and trace around the bottom. Cut along the tracing to make 2 rounds of parchment. Place a parchment round in each pan, then lightly coat the top. Set the pans aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- Whisk the eggs and brown sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture is pale and creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the carrots, cashews, ginger, pineapple juice, vanilla, coconut oil, and CannaOil or CannaButter and whisk to combine. Add the flour mixture and stir until no dry streaks are visible.
- Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans and smooth the tops. Bake the cakes until the centers resist light pressure and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto the wire rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment rounds.
- MAKE THE FROSTING: Combine the butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until light and airy, about 2 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and airy, 1 to 2 minutes. Measure out 1¼ cups of the frosting, transfer to a medium bowl, and stir in the crushed pineapple.
- Place the bottom cake layer on a plate and spread all of the pineapple frosting across the surface, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Place the second cake layer on top and frost the top and sides with the remaining plain cream cheese frosting. Decorate the sides with the chopped cashews and place small pieces of ginger around the edges (to mark where you will slice the cake). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. (The cake can be refrigerated for several days before serving; leave it out at room temperature for 20 minutes before slicing.)
