SPONGY CARROT CAKE with caramelized crust

This carrot cake is amazingly good – spongy and very flavorful. A simple recipe, but a little bit more fancy than a traditional cake. It comes out with a crispy sugar caramelized crust that is so good that frosting isn’t even necessary – it has been a success either way. I have promised friends and family to post this recipe, which has been adapted from allrecipes.com.

CARROT CAKE 9-inch springform (24cm)

CAKE INGREDIENTS:

• 4 Eggs
• 1 ¼ cups (3 deciliters) of sunflower oil
• 2 cups (4 ¾ deciliters) white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups (4 ¾ deciliters) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 3 cups (7 deciliters) grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped walnuts/pecan nuts
• ½ cup of raisins

FROSTING INGREDIENTS:

• ½ cup (2 1/3 deciliters) butter, softened
• 8 ounces (225 gram) cream cheese, softened
• 1.5 cups (3.5 deciliters) confectioner’s sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTION:

1. Preheat the oven to 350^oF (175^oC). Grease the 9-inch springform.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla extract until well mixed. Sift and add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in the carrots, and fold in the nuts and raisins. Pour the mix into a springform lined with baking paper.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the springform pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
4. (Optional) Make the frosting in a medium bowl by combining the butter, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the frosting on the cake and it is ready to serve.

Danish version

GULERODSKAGE 24 cm springform

KAGE DEJ:

• 4 æg
• 3 dl solsikke olie eller raps olie
• 4 ¾ dl sukker
• 2 tsk. vanilje sukker
• 4 ¾ hvedemel
• 2 tsk. bagepulver
• ½ tsk. salt
• 2 tsk. stødt kanel
• 7 dl revet gulerod
• 2 1/3 dl hakket pekan nødder eller valnødder

GLASUR:

• 2 1/3 dl  blødt smør
• 225 g flødeost (Philadelphia ost)
• 6 dl flormelis
• 1 tsk. vanilje sukker

FREMGANGSMÅDE:

1.  Forvarm ovnen til 175 ^oC. Pensl en springform med smør og drys med mel.
2. Pisk æg, olie, sukker og vanilje sukker godt sammen i en stor skål. Si og rør mel, bagepulver, salt og kanel i dejen. Tilsæt de revne gulerødder og rør forsigtigt valnødderne i dejen. Hæld dejen i det smurte fad.
3. Bag kagen i den forvarmede ovn i ca. 50-60 minutter, eller indtil kagen er bagt i midten. Du kan evt. teste om kagen er bagt ved hjælp af en tandstik. Prik dejen i midten og hvis dejen hænger ved skal den bages lidt længere og ellers er den færdig. Tag kagen ud af ovnen og lad den hvile i springformen i 10 minutter. Vend derefter kagen ud på en rist og lad den afkøle.
4. Glasur: Pisk smør, fløde ost, flormelis og vaniljesukker godt sammen. Pisk indtil blandingen er glat og cremet. Fordel glasuren på gulerodskagen.