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Hungry Girl Por Vida

Recipe: Gingery Carrot Tea Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

August 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Raisins.

I hate ’em.

They are one of the few foods I just really don’t like. I won’t go into the texturally reminiscent reasons why I don’t like them, lest I gross you out…so, I’ll leave it at that.

For all of my childhood and well into my adolescent years, I thought carrot cake required raisins. So, naturally, I avoided it…despite all the other goodness carrot cake packs, the thought of a sneaky raisin hidden in that spiced, moist crumb, deterred me for years.

Finally, I know better.

Finally I can enjoy the ultra moist, spiced, sometimes nut studded, cream cheese frosted, deliciousness that is carrot cake.

Thank goodness!

Carrot cake don’t need no raisins, girl!

I now L-O-V-E carrot cake, however, I don’t make it that often because many recipes just make too much.

Too many layers, too much commitment, too much temptation.

Then, I found this recipe via Martha, and it was like fate.

Carrot tea cake.

Not even with raisins.

Make it in a loaf pan…

or…

Make it in a medium/smallish bundt pan.

Have a slice in the afternoon with a nice cup of tea and you might just feel like a fancy lady…or guy. Whatever.

Don’t even bother with the raisins, unless you want to…then go for it! Eat those raisins, be braver than me, it’s cool.

Gingery Carrot Tea Cake with Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Martha Stewart

I added quit a bit more spice to this cake than the recipe called for, plus a bit of candied ginger for good measure. I just really like ginger + carrots.

1 stick (4oz.) of unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup finely grated carrots

1 1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 cup chopped, candied ginger

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 6-cup loaf or bundt pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, dry spices, and candied ginger.

Beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating and scraping bowl after each addition, until well combined. Add vanilla and carrots, beat well. Fold in flour mixture until combined well, scrape into prepared pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting

1, 8oz. package cream cheese, softened

zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup confectioners sugar

Beat cream cheese with lemon zest and juice until combined. Add sugar and beat until combined, light, and fluffy.

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: cake Tagged With: baking, cake, candied ginger, carrot cake, cream cheese, frosting, lemon, recipe, spice, tea cake

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Naomi

    August 22, 2011 at 7:58 am

    I love this, it’s gonna be my next dessert – especially since a friend gave me a sandwich bag full of big ol’ chunks of candied ginger! I might just go on a crazy candied-ginger-spree with it.

    Reply
    • cindy

      August 22, 2011 at 7:59 am

      Naomi, Yes! That’s pretty much the best gift a friend could give!

      Reply
  2. Megan

    August 22, 2011 at 8:21 am

    I’m so glad you’ve enlightened me with what to bake in my little bundt pan! And I really love that you served the cake in a pie tin. Lovely!

    And yeah, raisins are the worst! And we’re not fools.

    Reply
    • cindy

      August 22, 2011 at 8:24 am

      Ain’t no raisin gonna fool us girls! And thanks! That pie tin is from the sharpie pricing thrift store, 90cents yo!

      Reply
  3. Jenny (VintageSugarcube)

    August 22, 2011 at 9:08 am

    Girrlll.. This post made me mucho happy to meet another blogger that shares my disguist for raisins. That cake looks ahhhmazing and I absolutely love all your vintagey props. Beeeeutiful. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  4. R

    August 22, 2011 at 4:54 pm

    Hi, I’m Australian, this recipe looks so good, but I don’t know how much an American “stick of butter is” how many grams would this be (or oz. and I’ll convert it myself!) thanks ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • cindy

      August 22, 2011 at 4:58 pm

      R, It is 4 ounces of butter. Sorry about that!

      Reply
  5. Sasha @ The Procrastobaker

    August 23, 2011 at 1:44 am

    I ADORE gingerbread with a lemon drizzle, and also adore carrot cake…so lets say that this recipe is pretty much perfect ๐Ÿ™‚ Seriously delicious sounding and your photos are temptation personified. Saved this beauty for sure!

    Reply
    • cindy

      August 23, 2011 at 4:11 am

      Ooh! Sasha, I hope you make it ๐Ÿ˜€

      Reply
  6. Maggie @ A Bitchin' Kitchen

    August 23, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    I am always blown away by your photos…gorgeous!

    This cake looks delicious. Carrot cake is one of my favorite desserts, although I have no issues with raisins in mine ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • cindy

      August 23, 2011 at 2:20 pm

      Thanks Maggie! You can add raisins…I guess, ha!

      Reply
  7. what katie's baking

    August 26, 2011 at 8:40 am

    i loved this post!
    the photos are so beautiful.
    cindy… i have SUCH a problem with my cream cheese frosting turning elastic. any suggestions?

    Reply
    • cindy

      August 26, 2011 at 8:57 am

      Thanks Katie!

      As far as “elastic” frosting, I’m not sure! I usually beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, then I add the sugar and mix until just combined…maybe that will help?

      Reply
  8. Christine

    August 27, 2011 at 6:06 pm

    Raisins are the worst thing that ever happened to cake, cinnamon buns, bread, cookies, or pies — EVER. Who wants a treat full of rabbit dropping-like thingys? ONLY CRAZY PEOPLE.

    Reply
    • cindy

      August 28, 2011 at 5:42 am

      Christine, totally agree!

      Reply

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