No shortcuts. No cheat ingredients. Our best of the best series takes the view that if something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. Each month we take a deep-dive into a classic, delving into the processes and analysing why it tastes so good, then we give you our ultimate recipe. This month: Pollyanna Coupland perfects a perennial favourite
RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING POLLYANNA COUPLAND PHOTOGRAPHS INDIA WHILEY-MORTON
Best of the best.
Confession: I’m not a huge cake fan. I don’t actively dislike sweet things, but I’d always choose a sausage roll or something savoury over a cake. Carrot cake is the exception. The symphony of warming spices, a sponge spiked with crunchy, earthy nuts and plump, juicy raisins with a zesty cream cheese frosting provides a perfect balance that isn’t cloyingly sweet, unlike some of the buttercream-heavy bakes out there. And because it’s the only cake I tend to bake, I’ve made it countless times for friends and special occasions – which is why I’m fully confident in my ultimate recipe. Here’s what makes it a 10/10.
PREP YOUR CARROTS RIGHT
Being relatively high in natural sugars, carrots are an ideal candidate for sweet dishes (the Indian/Pakistani dessert gajar ka halwa, in which carrots are stewed down slowly in milk with sultanas, cinnamon and nuts, is a good example). Not only does the vegetable provide sweetness but it also contributes to the famously moist, dense texture of the cake. The key is to grate the carrots finely rather than coarsely, as this means they’ll release more moisture and provide a more even texture to the sponge. It takes a bit longer, but it’s worth it.
SUGAR, SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE
Playing with flavour combos is one of the best things about cooking, and carrot cake provides ample opportunity to experiment. The two main flavours of carrots are sweetness and earthiness, so including other ingredients with these properties will enhance and complement their taste. Sweetness is easy: cinnamon, orange, sultanas and brown sugar. When it comes to earthiness, though, you can have a bit more fun. Ginger and nutmeg have both earthy and sweet tones, which is why you tend to find them in carrot cake, but I add ground coriander too (it works, trust me!). I’ve also added wholemeal flour to the mix to contribute a malty, nutty flavour. This ties in with the nuts, which have earthy, woody properties. Finally, that nuttiness is amplified in the cream cheese frosting by way of brown butter (see right, offering wonderful nutty, caramel flav
