Here I am... In Italy, having foodgasms every day. No, I kid you not! The sensory overload has just been resoundingly stimulating!! Even though my current tryst with this beautiful country is still in full swing, I have already been colluding with Juls to plot my return sojourns for at least the next three years!!!
So, while I am in the middle of all this awe striking beauty, I wanted to do a quick stop and continue on the Autumn theme that was so dominant in the last post. The vibrance of Fall colors can bring a smile in the dourest of periods. I speak from experience :)
And, as a foodie what better way to celebrate the season than to make something that envelops the spirit of the season. For additional motivation, Simone, whom I am so thrilled to meet finally this weekend, is hosting a wonderful Autumn themed food photography event.
The magic words were spoken :) and out of the oven came a warming Spiced Carrot Cake with a simple Vanilla Cream Cheese frosting that lets the cake be the star.. And, this I share with you as I look on to the gorgeous Umbrian countryside.
When I was in London, I was awestruck at the fat content of some yogurt there being as high as 20%!! That subscribes to the idea of replacing butter or oil in a recipe with yogurt. In US, the highest I can find is 8% Greek yogurt and that is what I used for this recipe and the cake comes out nicely moist. I also substituted regular flour with whole wheat flour, which, lends it a nuttier flavor apart from being a tad more healthy.
For another version of carrot cake made with puréed carrots, check out this recipe for my cupcakes.
Spiced Yogurt Carrot Cake
(based on the recipe from Smitten Kitchen)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp fresh ground cardamom
1 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp fresh ground cloves
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup dark muscovado sugar
1/2 cup full fat yogurt
2 T mild olive oil
3 T whole milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups grated sweet carrots
1/2 cup raisins plumped in brandy (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Prepare an eight inch cake pan by lightly oiling and patting with flour. Dust away excess flour.
Sift together all the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whip the yogurt and milk with oil until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and turn to incorporate. In thirds add the dry mixture until combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the carrots and raisins.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cake from pan and cool on rack until completely cooled before frosting.
You can frost the cake as is. I used a 3 inch cookie cutter to cut rounds and then sliced them to make layers.
I made the filling by just whipping cream cheese with a little milk, some powdered sugar and a touch of vanilla paste. Really, this is per your taste. I did not measure anything. I just made more if I needed more to fill or frost :)
The carrot tuiles are strips of carrot boiled in sugar syrup (equal parts sugar and water) and once cool, rolled in sugar. They are pliable when slightly warm. You can roll them into any shape then..
So, while I am in the middle of all this awe striking beauty, I wanted to do a quick stop and continue on the Autumn theme that was so dominant in the last post. The vibrance of Fall colors can bring a smile in the dourest of periods. I speak from experience :)
And, as a foodie what better way to celebrate the season than to make something that envelops the spirit of the season. For additional motivation, Simone, whom I am so thrilled to meet finally this weekend, is hosting a wonderful Autumn themed food photography event.
The magic words were spoken :) and out of the oven came a warming Spiced Carrot Cake with a simple Vanilla Cream Cheese frosting that lets the cake be the star.. And, this I share with you as I look on to the gorgeous Umbrian countryside.
When I was in London, I was awestruck at the fat content of some yogurt there being as high as 20%!! That subscribes to the idea of replacing butter or oil in a recipe with yogurt. In US, the highest I can find is 8% Greek yogurt and that is what I used for this recipe and the cake comes out nicely moist. I also substituted regular flour with whole wheat flour, which, lends it a nuttier flavor apart from being a tad more healthy.
For another version of carrot cake made with puréed carrots, check out this recipe for my cupcakes.
Spiced Yogurt Carrot Cake
(based on the recipe from Smitten Kitchen)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp fresh ground cardamom
1 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp fresh ground cloves
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup dark muscovado sugar
1/2 cup full fat yogurt
2 T mild olive oil
3 T whole milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups grated sweet carrots
1/2 cup raisins plumped in brandy (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Prepare an eight inch cake pan by lightly oiling and patting with flour. Dust away excess flour.
Sift together all the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whip the yogurt and milk with oil until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and turn to incorporate. In thirds add the dry mixture until combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the carrots and raisins.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cake from pan and cool on rack until completely cooled before frosting.
You can frost the cake as is. I used a 3 inch cookie cutter to cut rounds and then sliced them to make layers.
I made the filling by just whipping cream cheese with a little milk, some powdered sugar and a touch of vanilla paste. Really, this is per your taste. I did not measure anything. I just made more if I needed more to fill or frost :)
The carrot tuiles are strips of carrot boiled in sugar syrup (equal parts sugar and water) and once cool, rolled in sugar. They are pliable when slightly warm. You can roll them into any shape then..