Adding pineapple to the batter results in an utterly moist and flavourful cake!
Spiced carrot cake with cottage cheese frosting
SERVES 6
Ingredients
3 chai tea bags
½ cup (125ml) hot milk
2 cups (300g) cake flour
1 packet (100g) peanuts, chopped (or mixed nuts) + extra for decorating
2 tsp (10ml) each bicarbonate of soda, ground cinnamon and baking powder
½ tsp (3ml) fine salt
1½ cups (300g) SELATI Golden Brown Sugar
4 eggs
1 cup (250ml) sunflower oil
2 cups (160g) grated carrot
2 cups (420g) frozen pineapple, thawed
Frosting:
1 tub (250g) smooth cottage cheese
½ tsp (3ml) ground cinnamon
4 cups (520g) SELATI Icing Snow
Lemon juice, to taste
Method
- Steep tea bags in hot milk for 10 minutes, then discard bags.
- Preheat oven to 180°C and line two 20cm round loose-bottomed cake tins with baking paper
- Combine dry ingredients, except sugar, in a bowl.
- Cream sugar and eggs together in a separate bowl until pale and fluffy.
- Whisk in oil, then fold wet mixture into dry ingredients.
- Stir in carrot and pineapple until just combined.
- Spoon batter into baking tins.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Cool for 5 minutes in tins, then remove and cool on a wire rack.
- Cut cakes in half horizontally to create 2 layers each.
- Whisk cream cheese until softened and smooth.
- Add cinnamon and 1 cup icing sugar and whisk until smooth.
- Add remaining icing sugar in two parts, mix in each time until smooth and add drop lemon juice to taste.
- Pipe or spoon frosting between cake layers.
- Top cakes with frosting and nuts or decorate with spun sugar, if you like.
CHEF’S TIP
Make it mini – Divide batter between four 8cm prepared loose-bottomed cake tins then bake. (Two 18cm baking trays will work too – cut baked cake later with a cookie cutter to create rounds.)
