Pudding Baking

Edd Kimber’s Chocolate & Cardamom Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Edd Kimber's interpretation of carrot cake has vaguely Scandi spicing and the best brown butter cream cheese frosting you’ve ever had, tasting like a toasty rich caramel.

30 minutes, plus cooling time prep, 50 minutes cook

Serves 12–14

Ingredients

300g plain flour

2 tsps baking powder

½ tsp fine sea salt

2 tsps ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom

Zest of 2 oranges, juice of 1

300g carrots, grated

75g dark chocolate chips

150g raisins or sultanas

4 large eggs

400g light brown sugar

240ml light olive oil, plus extra for greasing

Milk chocolate shavings

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

For the cream cheese frosting:

75g unsalted butter, at room temperature

125g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

400g icing sugar

¼ tsp fine sea salt

2 tsps vanilla extract

Method

reheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/ Gas 4. Lightly grease a a 23 x 33cm baking tin, then line with a piece of parchment paper that overhangs the two long sides.

Place the flour, baking powder, salt, ground spices and orange zest into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the carrots, chocolate chips and raisins. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil and juice from 1 orange, mixing until combined

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil and juice from 1 orange, mixing until combined.

Pour the wet mixture in the bowl with the flour and stir together until everything is combined. Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and spread into an even layer.

Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the cake springs back to a light touch or a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then use the lining paper to carefully lift and transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely. To make the cream cheese frosting, first brown the butter.

Place the butter into a small saucepan over a medium heat, stirring frequently. As the butter cooks it will first melt and then sizzle, splatter and then start to foam with little brown flecks.

Pour into a bowl and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until the butter is firm.

Remove from the refrigerator and beat with an electric mixer, on its own, until soft and creamy. For the frosting, it’s very important that the butter and cream cheese are both at room temperature, otherwise it can be tricky to get the right texture.

Place the butter and cream cheese into a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes, or until smooth, creamy and fully combined.

Add the icing sugar, salt and vanilla and mix on slow speed until the sugar has combined with the butter mixture, then mix on medium-high speed for 4–5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

Spread over the top of the cake and finish with a grating of milk chocolate and the zest of another orange, if you like. Kept covered, this cake will keep for 3–4 days.