Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Gingered Carrot Cake

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tbs ground cinnamon
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup grape seed oil
1/4 cup buttermilk
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup unsalted pistachios, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
2 cups (packed) finely-grated carrots
1-14 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup flaked coconut
Butter the inside of a bundt pan and preheat oven to 350F.
Whisk together first 5 ingredients. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together sugars, grape seed oil and buttermilk. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Beat in flour mixture, followed by nuts, ginger, carrots, pineapple and coconut.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool on a rack for 1 hour. Gently loosen cake from pan and turn out onto rack to cool completely.
Frosting
8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup canned sweetened cream of coconut
1/2 tsp vanilla
pistachios and chopped ginger to decorate
Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar, then cream of coconut and vanilla. Chill 30 minutes.
Place cake on platter. Spread a thin coating of frosting over entire cake. Chill cake and remaining frosting 30 minutes before spreading second coating. Decorate and chill for 1 hour before serving.

No comments: