Sunday, 9th August – This Délice de carottes is a discovery for me. I have never really liked carrot cakes, tried several but was never convinced. So I was far from the day I would bake one myself, just for fun. And one day, someone close to me asked. So I did. I cannot find the words to describe all the sensations I had at the first mouthful: moist, soft, sweet but not too much, and so much more. In this recipe, preparing the ingredients is what will take most time. The rest will be done in 10 minutes at the maximum.

INGREDIENTS

Cake

• 8 ounces crushed pineapple
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup sunflower oil
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting

• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

PREPARATION

Cake

Material: baking pan, glass, large bowl and wooden spoon OR mixer, small bowl

1. Preheat the oven at 180°C and grease a round baking pan. But you can use whatever form you prefer. All depends what you are going to do with this cake.
2. Drain the pineapple, reserving 2 tablespoons juice in a glass. In a large bowl (or in the bowl of your mixer), beat the carrots, eggs, sugars, oil, pineapple and the pineapple juice until well blended. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; gradually beat into pineapple preparation until the mixture is blended. Stir in the walnuts.
3. Transfer the preparation into the greased baking pan. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the famous long toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out dry. Let it cool down in the pan for 5 minutes, then completely cool down on a plate or wire rack.

Frosting

Material: large bowl, wooden spatula OR hand mixer

1. For the frosting, in a large bowl (and with a hand mixer if available) beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth.
2. Spread over the cake or the individual cakes. Reserve the cakes in the fridge if you do not serve them right away.