Scandinavian carrot cake

I love to bake carrot cake, and also to eat it. I think it is so smart to use vegetables to create a specific sweetness, juiciness and taste in a cake, where you normally would add more sugar to find. I know this cake is very common in USA, so what is the difference to a Scandinavian carrot cake? When it comes to the ingredients, I have tasted and seen recipes in USA with cinnamon and nutmeg as well, so I can’t say that. I would say the size again. As you see on the picture, it doesn’t needs to be layer after layer to be a carrot cake. Make and eat a smaller piece and I can promise you that you will enjoy it! I have decorated with mini carrot slices which gives some crunchiness and peel from lime which add some acid.

Ingredients (10-15 pieces):

• 3 organic eggs
• 1 1/5 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/5 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• pinch of salt
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 2/3 cup sunflower oil
• 1 1/2 cup raw grounded carrots
• butter and bread crumbs for buttering the baking form

Frosting

• 4 tbsp butter (room temperature)
• 1 2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• peel from 1 lime
• 7 tbsp cream cheese

Pre heat the oven to 350ºF. Mix together egg and sugar in a bowl with an electric hand mixer until it gets white and fluffy.

Mix flour, vanilla extract, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, salt and nutmeg in another bowl. Turn this flour mixture into the bowl with the egg and sugar mixture. Add the sunflower oil and the raw grounded carrots and mix everything together.

Butter a 9” baking springform with removable side. Add some bread crumbs and roll them around the form.

Add the batter into the springform. Bake in the middle of the oven for approximately 55 minutes. Stick a baking stick in the middle of the cake to see if it’s ready. If no batter is seen on the stick, the cake is ready. Let the cake cool down.

Mix together all ingredients to the frosting in a bowl. Use an electric hand mixer and whisk until you get a creamy texture.

Spread the frosting over the cake. Keep it cold until serving.

Decorate with some peel from a lime and mini carrot slices. I sliced the cake in small squares here, but you can also serve it in triangle slices.

Smaklig måltid!

My plate is from Danish “House Doctor”.