Carrot Cake.

by a tale

Another birthday cake. And a homage to a young woman, selling the best coffee on the market. I (Anne) needed a cake for a friends birthday. Something you could eat right from the hand or easily transport in a box. Big chunks of hazelnuts, a soft batter and the smell of autumn.
The barista serves freshly brewed coffee, flat white and espresso, alongside with three different types of cakes. Each of them baked in a round, 40 cm in diameters, tin. As I do not like chocolate, I am always gazing for the carrot cake. She’s there (Maybachufer, Kreuzberg) on Tuesdays and Fridays but if your are in for a piece of cake, be there before noon.
If not, here is my favourite carrot cake recipe.

CARROT CAKE.

flour – 250g
baking powder – 1/2 a teaspoon
cinnamon, ground – one teaspoon
gloves, ground – a pinch
ginger, ground – a pinch
pinch of salt
sunflower oil – 200ml
light muscovado sugar – 250g
eggs, separated – 3
carrots -150g
juice of half a lemon
hazelnuts, chopped – 150g

Set the oven at 180C/Gas 4. Butter one 26cm tart tin and line each with baking parchment.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, gloves and salt. Beat the oil and sugar in a mixer until well creamed, then introduce one egg yolks after the other, reserving the whites for later. Grate the carrots into the mixture, then add the lemon juice. Roughly chop the hazelnuts and add them. Fold the flour and spices into the mixture with the machine on slow. Beat the egg whites till light and stiff, then fold carefully into the mixture with a large metal spoon.

Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 40-45 minutes. Test with a skewer. The cake should be moist, but not sticky. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then turn on to a wire cooling rack.

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