I have recently become fascinated with overseas baking recipes, but the measurement units can be quite a headache. While I can understand most measurements, a few specific units seem to have varied interpretations. However, precision is crucial in baking, as even slight deviations can lead to failure. Therefore, I resorted to the most fundamental method: trial and error. For instance, for this widely praised healthy and delicious carrot cake, I used eight carrots.
Perseverance paid off, and I achieved the flavor described in the recipe—a cake with excellent moisture, sweetness, and layered texture that I find truly impressive. I am sharing this with everyone. Although the ingredient list may seem long, a closer look reveals that most items are household staples. Nuts can be substituted, but it is not advisable to reduce their quantity, especially cinnamon powder and rum, which are essential for the authentic taste. This is a simple yet extraordinary cake. Let’s get started! 【Carrot Cake Recipe】 Raisins: 20g Dried Cranberries: 20g Walnut Kernels: 60g Pumpkin Seeds: 20g Rum (essential): 10g Grated Carrot: 100g Pineapple Chunks: 50g Whole Egg Liquid: 120g Fine Sugar: 50g Brown Sugar (essential): 30g Salt: 2g Corn Oil: 80g All-Purpose Flour: 200g Cinnamon Powder (essential): 3g Baking Powder: 4g 【Cream Cheese Glaze Recipe】 Cream Cheese: 200g Unsalted Butter: 112g Vanilla Extract (essential): 3g Salt: 1g Powdered Sugar: 130g First, prepare the star ingredient: grated carrot. Peel and grate the carrot into shreds or fine pieces, then set aside. Next, measure all required ingredients in advance. The list may appear extensive, but these are common ingredients that are easy to find. Note: Nuts can be replaced with alternatives, but reducing their amount is not recommended. This is a healthy cake where all ingredients contribute to flavor and texture complexity. Soak the raisins and dried cranberries in rum for at least two hours beforehand, then set aside. Break the walnut kernels into small pieces (avoid making them too fine) and set aside. Cut the pineapple into small cubes and set aside. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon powder, baking powder) uniformly and set aside. In a bowl, combine corn oil with brown sugar, fine sugar, and salt. Use an electric mixer to blend until smooth. Gradually add the whole egg liquid, mixing thoroughly with the electric mixer after each addition until a homogeneous liquid forms, as shown in the reference image. Add the prepared grated carrot, walnut pieces, pumpkin seeds, pineapple chunks, and the soaked raisins and cranberries. Gently fold everything together with a spatula until just combined. The resulting batter will be thick and sticky, as illustrated. Use a 250g loaf pan (approximately 17.5cm x 10cm) for baking.Line a 58.5cm toast box with oiled paper (essential) (Fig. 1). Pour the batter into the box and smooth the surface slightly (Fig. 2).
Preheat the oven for 15 minutes. Set the upper heat to 170°C and lower heat to 180°C. Place the cake batter box in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Note: Baking time and temperature are for reference only; adjust according to your oven’s performance. When the baking time is up, insert a toothpick into the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. The baked cake should reach about half the height of the toast box or slightly higher. This quantity is specifically set because the surface will later be covered with cheese frosting (Fig. 3). Once baked, do not remove the cake from the box. Let it cool to room temperature in the box and set aside. While the cake cools, prepare the cream cheese frosting for the glaze. The small bottle in the image is vanilla extract (vanilla powder can be used as a substitute). The image shows salt and cream cheese already placed together. Combine cream cheese, butter, and salt (Fig. 1). Beat vigorously with a mixer until evenly mixed, achieving a fluffy paste-like consistency (Fig. 2). Add powdered sugar, mix slightly with a spatula, then beat with the mixer until the sugar is fully incorporated (Fig. 3). Add vanilla extract and beat until smooth. The finished cheese frosting should be smooth, creamy, and slowly drip when lifted with a spatula. Pour the cheese frosting over the cooled cake, smoothing it slightly on the surface and corners. Irregularly sprinkle walnuts, dried cranberries, and other nuts on the cheese frosting for decoration. As shown in the video, sift soybean powder over the top (optional). Soybean powder mainly adds texture and flavor; skipping it is acceptable. The cover image shows the cake without soybean powder. It is best to place the cake with the smoothed cheese frosting glaze in the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour to set the frosting before sifting soybean powder. After sifting, lift the cake out of the box by gently pulling the edges of the oiled paper to demold. After following these steps, it is clear that making this cake is quite simple. The cheese frosting only requires mixing. Overseas recipes often emphasize enhancing flavor (e.g., using cinnamon powder and rum) and richness (with a well-filled cake base). The beautiful carrot cake is now ready. While the cheese frosting is still firm from freezing, cut a slice. Observe! The cake base is richly filled. For this cake’s glaze, I used double the amount specified in the recipe, so the cross-section shows a thick cheese layer. You can use a single or double portion of the glaze according to your preference; both are equally delicious.
