[CH] Spicy carrot cake

Andie Paysinger (asenji@earthlink.net)
Sun, 13 Feb 2000 11:01:37 -0800 

A couple of folks asked for my spicy carrot cake recipe.
Sorry it has taken so long, I had to search through a bunch
of CDs I had stored my data on when I got a new hard drive
and have not yet put everything onto the new (and much
bigger) hard drive.
I know it looks like a lot of work, but it is really worth
it.

Spicy Carrot Cake with Orange/Ginger glaze and/or Cream
Cheese Icing

2 (level) cups plus 2 tablespoons UNSIFTED unbleached flour
2 tsp baking soda  (NOT baking powder)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups real mayonnaise (Hellmann`s if you can find it)
    (in a pinch you can substitute 1/2 Miracle Whip and 1/2
sour cream)
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple in own juice, undrained
2 cups carrots, coarsely shredded
3/4 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 level tablespoon finely minced candied ginger

1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of finely minced dried chile
pepper without seeds depending on how hot you like it.
2 tablespoons hot apple cider(or apple juice)

Before you do anything else, choose your chile pepper or
peppers and blister the skin over a flame, pop into a
plastic bag or a brown paper bag and allow to "sweat" until
you can peel the skin away from the flesh.
Then cut the flesh into matchstick pieces then cross cut so
you have tiny minced pieces which you place in a glass
measuring cup.
Add either hot apple cider or  add it cold and microwave for
1 minute which should heat it sufficiently.
Allow to stand for at least 30 minutes (an hour is better)
so the pepper absorbs the liquid.

Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
In bowl stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger,
and salt; set aside.
In large bowl with mixer at medium speed beat eggs, sugar,
mayonnaise, pineapple and pepper/cider mixture until well
blended.
Gradually beat in flour mixture until well mixed.
With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon fold in the carrots
and walnuts.
Turn batter into prepared pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F  for 30 to 35 minutes or until
toothpick  inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove from oven, set pans on cooling rack for 10 minutes.
Turn cakes out onto cooling racks and allow to cool
completely.

Orange/Ginger glaze - You can make this ahead of time keep
in jar in fridge,  good for lots of other things.
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
zest from 2 large or 3 medium small oranges (You can remove
just the orange part of the peeling with a potato peeler and
cut the peel into smaller pieces and pulverize it in your
spice grinder if you don't have a zester - it is easier than
using a grater)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger or 1 1/2 tablespoons finely
minced candied ginger.
Alternative -  you can add a pinch of powdered chile pepper
(NOT CHILE POWDER but rather powder made from finely
grinding a dried chile pepper)
Put the sugar and water in a heavy sauce pan over low heat
and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
Simmer gently for 15 minutes - add the remaining
ingredients.
Continue simmering gently until the syrup thickens to about
the consistance of honey.

Cream Cheese Icing:
14 oz soft cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon juice
In a large bowl beat cheese and butter together till fluffy.

Beat in remaining ingredients and ice the cooled cake.

The way to make this cake perfect is to glaze it first -
put EACH layer on its own piece of aluminum foil which you
have folded and turned up the edges all around to make a
"pan"
with a toothpick, punch holes all over the top of each
layer.
Drizzle the glaze over the layers - set aside until the
glaze has cooled.
Apply a layer of the icing to the bottom layer
place the top layer on top of this and cover the top of that
layer.
At this point you can wrap the cake with waxed paper or
parchment paper (the sides are not yet covered with icing).
so paper stands up above the level of the top.  Cover
everything with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.

Remove from fridge, remove the paper,  cover the sides with
frosting  thusly.
Take a glob of frosting on your spatula, starting at the
bottom of the side, draw the spatula up to the top in one
even stroke. Repeat this all the way around.
Put the remaining glaze into a squeeze bottle with a 1/8
inch opening.
"Draw" a design on the top with the glaze, criss/cross,
waves, etc.
This cake is now ready to serve.  It is rich, moist and has
wonderful flavors.


--
Andie Paysinger & the PENDRAGON
Basenjis,Teafer,Cheesy,Singer & Player
asenji@earthlink.net    So. Calif. USA   "In the face of
adversity, be patient, in the face of a basenji, be prudent,
be canny, be on your guard!"
http://home.earthlink.net/~asenji/