CARROT CAKE WITH ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
If this book has an origin, this is it. There were few things I knew about parenting when my twins were born. But many books and articles convinced me of the evils of sugar in their first year. As their first birthday approached, I decided they deserved their first taste of sugar in a healthy birthday cake. Carrot cake seemed like a no-brainer. I swapped out as much sugar and oil as I could for applesauce, orange juice, and more carrots. Whole grains entered the picture, and butter exited. I wasn’t surprised my girls loved their first taste, but then all of the adults approached me wide-eyed, wondering what made my carrot cake so much more delicious than any they’d ever had.
Grating loads of carrots on the small holes of a box grater turns out wispy shreds that sweeten every inch of the cake. Losing the butter for the frosting results in a silkier, tangier spread, especially with the addition of yogurt. While you can make this with all white whole wheat flour, keeping the proportions of everything else the same, I prefer using half whole wheat flour, which has a more pronounced wheaty taste, and half all-purpose to keep the texture lighter. Either way, the cake will still be wonderfully wholesome and quite possibly the most satisfying version you’ve ever had.
TIPS:
• Labneh is a thick Middle Eastern–style yogurt. It’s as spreadable as soft cream cheese, but smoother and tarter. If you can’t find it, substitute mascarpone or cream cheese.
• If you don’t have three cake pans, you can make this a two-layer cake. Just bake the cakes until a toothpick comes out clean, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Spread more frosting in the center when you fill the cake and frost the sides and top with the rest.
makes one 9-inch layer cake
no nuts
CARROT CAKE
- 1 cup (150 g) whole wheat flour
- 1 cup (142 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large oranges
- 1 cup (264 g) unsweetened applesauce, homemade or store-bought
- ½ cup (112 g) grapeseed or other neutral oil
- ½ cup (104 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (108 g) packed light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 14½ ounces (410 g) carrots (about 5), scrubbed and finely grated (3 cups)
ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 2 (8-ounce; 226-g) packages cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (105 g) labneh
- Freshly grated zest of ½ orange
- 1 cup (135 g) confectioners’ sugar, or to taste
1. To make the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Coat three 9-inch square cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and spray again.
2. Whisk both flours, the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in a large bowl. Zest the oranges into another large bowl, then squeeze ½ cup (112 g) juice from the oranges and add to the zest. Add the applesauce, oil, and both sugars and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the bowl. Turn the speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until blended; scrape the bowl occasionally. Beat in the carrots until evenly distributed. Divide the batter among the prepared pans.
4. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 35 minutes. (If your oven heats unevenly, switch the positions of the pans halfway through baking.)
5. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 15 minutes, then run a thin-bladed knife between the edges of the cakes and the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks. Discard the parchment paper and cool completely.
6. Meanwhile, make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in the labneh until just incorporated. Add the orange zest and beat on medium-low speed just until incorporated. Scrape the bowl, add the confectioners’ sugar, and beat on low speed until incorporated. Taste and add more confectioners’ sugar, if you’d like. Scrape the bowl and beat on medium speed until the frosting is very smooth. If it isn’t thick enough to spread, refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
7. Place one cake layer, bottom side up, on a cake plate. Spread one quarter of the frosting evenly over the top. Place another cake, bottom side up, on top of the frosting and spread the same amount of frosting on top. Place the last cake layer, top side up, on top. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Cover with a cake dome and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours. Or if you don’t have a cake dome, you can leave the cake uncovered, but be sure your fridge doesn’t have anything strong smelling in it. You can also stick toothpicks into the top and sides of the cake and drape plastic wrap over it. Smooth the holes before serving.
8. The cake is as good cold as it is at room temperature. If you prefer the latter, let it sit at room temperature for an hour before serving.
MAKE AHEAD
The cake layers will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. The frosted cake will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
