Cream Cheese Carrot Cake for tea.

There's a first for everything.

Like, inviting your friends for tea on a lovely Saturday afternoon...

Or picking a friend up in the rain on that very same lovely Saturday afternoon.

And then, presenting to them a table full of goodies...

Or, try writing a post with Instagram pictures because you didn't managed to catch the day's sunlight fast enough to take proper photos. & then not being able to re-shoot the next day because...

1) there is no more cakes or cookies or cupcakes left.

2) you have to pack your luggage and catch a flight within the next 24hours.

(Pic from Clementia's instagram! @clem_me)



Oh, what joy in preparing a table full of teatime snacks! There's Apple Rose Tea, Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes, Rosette Butter cookies with Nutella...and the main attraction of all - Cream Cheese Carrot Cake!

Carrot Cake is not a personal favorite - it is never an ordering option at the local coffee house for me, but that might just change after I've tried this delicious recipe from Rose Heavenly Cakes written by Rose Levy Beranbaum.

There's something about the cream cheese frosting that makes it such a compatible match to the slightly spiced layers of rich, shredded carrot cake. Even Clementia, a friend of mine who confesses to usually scraping off the frosting so that she can enjoy the rest of the cake...cannot stop praising the luscious taste of this cream cheese frosting I've made.

& for a non carrot cake lover, I'm sold. Each mouthful is like a perfect medley of sweet, creamy and spice - all from a mixture of carrots, cream cheese and cinnamon.

You'll probably have to bake it yourself to know what I'm talking about!

I'm still pretty bad at frosting a decent cake - either it's too lopsided at one side, or the frosting is just too little in the middle, I hope with more practices during my study period that can be salvaged! Haha!

 Till then!





Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
(Adapted from Rose Heavenly Cakes' Classic Carrot Cake) 

Ingredients: 

300g plain/all purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp cinnamon powder
300g granulated sugar
100g light brown sugar
269g Olive oil, at room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
454g coarsely shredded carrots
30g candied ginger


Steps: 


1. Preheat Oven to 175℃ 20 minutes before baking. Grease and line two 8" round cake pans.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa and cinnamon. Sift the flour mixture onto another big mixing bowl.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (I use a KitchenAid) fitted with a flat beater, beat the granulated sugar,brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla on medium for 1 minute or till well blended. Scrap sides.
4. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed for about 20 seconds, or just until incorporated. Scrape sides.
5. Add the carrots and candied ginger and beat for another 12 seconds. Using a spatula, scrap batter into the prepared pans - making sure that each pan is about the same weight. Smooth the top of the pans with a offset spatula. 
6. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes in the middle rack of the oven until a cake tester inserted into the centers come out clean.



For Cream Cheese Frosting
(A Humming Bird Bakery's recipe)

Ingredients:

600g icing sugar, sifted
100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
250g cream cheese, cold


Steps: 

1. Beat butter and icing sugar together in a stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed until the mixture is well combined.
2. Add the cream cheese and beat till completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium high speed and beat for at least 5-8 minutes till it is light and fluffy. Take note not to overbeat as it can become runny.
 3. Remember to taste for smoothness, cream cheese frosting have to be kept refrigerated and can be kept for maximum of 3 days in the fridge.