Break out the Booze
Posted on
02/05/2009
by kamihane
- Tags:cinnamon, dried fruit, liquors, nuts, spice cake
Whenever I make a carrot cake, I'm plagued by a cake that's a bit too moist and too soggy in the middle. I'm much more a fan of dryer cake textures, like spice cakes. I tried hard to strike a bit of a balance last night and the results were a nice firm cake that was dense without being a mushy mess.
Rum Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
6 cups grated carrots
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup golden raisins
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chunky apple sauce
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
1. Grate 6 cups of carrots. It was about 12 or so large carrots for me, but it all depends on the size. Mix the carrots with the brown sugar and let it sit for about an hour to really get nice and sweet.
2. Mix the raisins with some rum and let them sit to rehydrate for an hour or so too. Then, mix with the carrots and brown sugar.
3. Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and grease two 8 inch cake pans.
4. Beat eggs until they're lighter in color and gradually mix in the sugar, oil, and the vanilla. Mix in the apple sauce. Combine your dry ingredients and then slowly mix into your wet ingredients. Then mix in your carrot mix. Make sure to squeeze out the extra liquid. Some moisture is needed, but too much will ruin the cake. Mix in the walnuts.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the toothpick method says your cake is done. Frost with cream cheese frosting. Sorry on that one, I've experimented with quite a few cream cheese frostings and I can't seem to make one that's not too painfully sweet. The store bought is unsatisfying, so maybe someone else has a better frosting recipe.
The rum really seems to give this cake a little something special and definitely makes the raisins sweeter and more intense. Since we have quite the extensive liquor cabinet with everything you can imagine (and pretty tame social lives), anyone know any other recipes with alcohol that we could try and use up our unloved stash?
Rum Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
6 cups grated carrots
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup golden raisins
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chunky apple sauce
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
1. Grate 6 cups of carrots. It was about 12 or so large carrots for me, but it all depends on the size. Mix the carrots with the brown sugar and let it sit for about an hour to really get nice and sweet.
2. Mix the raisins with some rum and let them sit to rehydrate for an hour or so too. Then, mix with the carrots and brown sugar.
3. Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and grease two 8 inch cake pans.
4. Beat eggs until they're lighter in color and gradually mix in the sugar, oil, and the vanilla. Mix in the apple sauce. Combine your dry ingredients and then slowly mix into your wet ingredients. Then mix in your carrot mix. Make sure to squeeze out the extra liquid. Some moisture is needed, but too much will ruin the cake. Mix in the walnuts.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the toothpick method says your cake is done. Frost with cream cheese frosting. Sorry on that one, I've experimented with quite a few cream cheese frostings and I can't seem to make one that's not too painfully sweet. The store bought is unsatisfying, so maybe someone else has a better frosting recipe.
The rum really seems to give this cake a little something special and definitely makes the raisins sweeter and more intense. Since we have quite the extensive liquor cabinet with everything you can imagine (and pretty tame social lives), anyone know any other recipes with alcohol that we could try and use up our unloved stash?
This is one of my favourite things to bake. Technically it's meant to use rum as well, but last time I made it I used this almond and pistachio liqueur instead and it was even more delicious, so go crazy with your favourite vaguely sweet spirit is my suggestion.
http://bakingbites.com/2007/12/bundt-pa
I forgot to say, but it's extra good if you do what you did with the carrot cake and soak the raisins in the alcohol for a while. Or if you wanted to use chocolate chips instead of raisins, that's still delicious.
... I'm hungry now.
Also, I LOVE YOUR ICON.
Thats my house all the time.
lol, and thanks for the icon love everyone.
And like everyone else, love the icon. That is my life. Well, that coupled with some yelling and lecturing about how he knows better. :)