LAYERED CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING AND CARAMEL SAUCE
This is a super moist and decadent carrot cake with rich cream cheese and silky caramel sauce. You can decorate this cake with whatever you like, simply roasting walnuts and sprinkling them on top can look beautiful. I topped this one with roses, toasted coconut and coconut truffles.
INGREDIENTS
CARROT CAKE
500 grams all purpose flour
20 grams baking soda
1 teapsoon salt
2 teaspoons mixed spice
2 teaspoons cinnamon
8 medium eggs
330 grams soft brown sugar
580 grams white sugar
480 grams of grape seed oil or other flavourless vegetable oils
400 grams carrot, grated
240 grams walnut pieces, roughly chopped
270 grams crushed pineapple, drained
CARAMEL SAUCE
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup cream
35 grams butter, cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt, add more if desired
CREAM CHEESE ICING
210 grams cream cheese, softened
180 grams butter, softened
380 grams icing sugar
1 tablespoon of lemon zest (optional)
TO DECORATE
6 small rosebuds
1 cup of coconut chips, toasted
6 Ferrero Raffaello Almond Coconut Truffles
INSTRUCTIONS
CARROT CAKE
Preheat oven to 150°C, grease and line three 23cm cake tins with baking paper and set aside.
This cake can be mixed by hand although it is much easier if you use a cake mixer. Sieve the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and mixed spice into a bowl or cake mixer.
Add the eggs, pineapple, sugars, oil, carrot and walnut pieces and gently combine. Continue to mix for 2 - 3 minutes.
Divide the batter evenly between three cake tins and bake in the oven for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours. Insert a skewer to the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean then the cakes are cooked all the way through.
Allow the cakes to cool in their tins for at least 30 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Let cakes cool completely.
CARAMEL SAUCE
Place the sugar and water in a large saucepan, place on the stovetop on a medium heat for 5-8 minutes or until golden brown. Keep an eye on it as the sugars can turn to caramel very quickly and then burn. Do not stir as this will make the sugar crystallise.
In a separate saucepan bring the cream to a simmer.
Once the sugar has turned golden brown add the cream. Be careful as it will bubble up, stir constantly. Add the butter and salt and continue to stir.
Once well combined and butter has melted through, place in a jug and refrigerate until needed.
CREAM CHEESE ICING
Place the softened butter and cream cheese in a bowl with the icing sugar and lemon zest.
Beat on a medium speed until the icing has become light and fluffy.
TO ASSEMBLE
Once the cakes are completely cool you can begin assembling. If any of your cakes have risen slightly more in some places than others, take a serrated knife and level them off evenly.
Using a palette knife, take a third of the cream cheese icing and smear it evenly across the first layer. Be careful not to ice too far over the edges as the pressure of the other layers will push the icing out. Drizzle a third of the caramel sauce over the cream cheese and gently place the next cake layer on top.
Repeat this step with the next two layers.
To decorate the cake take six roses and cut most of the stalk off leaving 1.5cm still attached. Wrap the stalk end of each rosebud in tinfoil. Gently press each rosebud into the centre of the cake.
Sprinkle a ring of toasted coconut chips around the edge of the icing.
Take 6 Raffaello truffles and evenly place them around the cake.