OK, full disclosure: I am not a cake person. I never touch cakes at weddings (Luke and I had cheesecake at our wedding) and if I’m at a birthday gathering I usually eat only one bite. I have a couple of problems with cakes. Firstly, I find them to be a huge waste. Someone makes this big, beautiful cake and there are either not enough people to eat all of it or you’re left with a ton of leftovers in general. And secondly, cakes are a pain to decorate and most frostings are far too sweet.
Now that I’ve established myself as a cake grinch I’ll tell you about a cake I do like. I recently bought 6-inch cake pans for serving smaller crowds. Something about the smaller size seems less intimidating than trying to wrestle with 8- or 9-inch pans. No one really eats a massive piece of cake after a good dinner. I find a 6-inch double layer cake can serve 6 to 8 (or up to 12 people according to Wilton). Goodbye huge cakes! Super sweet and sugary desserts aren’t my style so I like a good carrot cake. And to keep decorating simple but still elegant I frost only between the two layers and on the top.
This carrot cake recipe is inspired by a cake the chefs at Cucina della Terra in Umbria, Italy made for my mom on her 60th birthday. Chefs Gerri Sarnataro and Vicki Wells laughed at the idea of making a traditional carrot cake with cream cheese frosting in Italy and substituted mascarpone cheese instead. The orange zest garnish not only looks beautiful on the cake but also smells and tastes delicious. The Mascarpone Frosting easily doubles if you’d like to frost the sides of your cake.
I prefer a gluten-free diet and try to avoid many of the processed, pre-made substitute products on the market. But I’ve found cup-for-cup gluten-free baking mixes are great if you’d like to do your own baking at home. You can substitute the baking mix for regular all-purpose flour if you prefer (just reduce the cooking time by approximately 5 to 10 minutes).
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake with Mascarpone Frosting
serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for pans
8 ounces carrots, peeled
1 cup gluten-free all-purpose baking blend, such as Bob’s Red Mill, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground nutmeg
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk plain yogurt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup raisins
Mascarpone Frosting
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, chilled
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
zest of 1 navel orange
Preheat oven to 350 F. Oil 2 6-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper. Oil the parchment. Set pans aside.
Grate carrots using a box grater or in a food processor fitted with a grater attachment. Set carrots aside. If using a food processor, wipe it clean with a paper towel.
In a food processor fitted with a steel blade combine flour mix, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, pulsing to mix. Add the sugar and yogurt and process until combined. With the processor running, add the oil and then the eggs, one at a time, pulsing after each addition until combined.
Transfer batter to a large bowl. Stir in grated carrots and raisins. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake cakes until the tops are firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 to 45 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Cool cakes completely in pans on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the mascarpone with the confectioners’ sugar on medium speed, using a stand or hand mixer, until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Once cakes come to room temperature invert then onto the rack and remove pans. Peel off parchment paper. Place cake layers on a cutting board, domed-side up. Using a large serrated knife, slice the tops off the cakes to create a level surface.
Place one layer cut-side down on a serving platter or cake plate. Using an off-set spatula, spread half of the frosting evenly on top of the cake and refrigerate until firm, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove frosted cake from refrigerator. Place the second layer cut-side down on top of the frosted cake. Spread the remaining frosting on the top of the second layer with the spatula. Top with grated orange zest. Refrigerate the whole cake until firm, about 20 to 30 minutes, and serve.