Carrot Cake With Ginger Mascarpone Icing. KOLO On The Stereo.

Carrot Cake is what’s up, Bugs.

The old-fashioned standby gets some updating with mascarpone in the cream cheese icing and a sprinkling of crystallized ginger over the top. The cake is super moist, perfectly spiced and chock full of carrots, walnuts and raisins. The ginger complements the other spices and the tangy icing cuts the sweetness.

Carrot Cake With Ginger Mascarpone Icing

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 pound carrots, grated (if using food processor, pat dry with paper towels)
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
Ginger Mascarpone Icing (recipe follows)
Crystallized ginger (not in syrup), chopped, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400℉. Grease two 9 inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and grease and flour the pans.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, oil, and eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until light yellow and thickened. Stir in the vanilla.

3. In another bowl, sift together the 2 cups of flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ones.

4. In a medium bowl, toss the carrots, raisins, walnuts, and the 1 tablespoon of flour. Stir into the batter with a rubber spatula.

5. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.

6. Bake for 10 minutes, lower the heat to 350℉, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.

7. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, turn out onto a baking rack, and cool completely.

8. Place one cake on a flat serving plate, rounded-side down. Spread half the icing on the top of cake without frosting the sides. Place the second cake on top of the first cake, rounded-side up. Frost the top of the second cake. Sprinkle with the ginger and serve at room temperature.

Serves 10

Ginger Mascarpone Icing

Ingredients:

12 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup minced crystallized ginger
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the mascarpone, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, cream, and vanilla together for about 1 minute, until light and fluffy.

2. Add the crystallized ginger and salt and beat for 30 seconds more.

Recipes from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten

About one hundred years ago I received a copy of ‘Castro’ along with a request for some carrot cake. It was actually about a year ago, but I feel awful that it took me so long to get my act together and share the song and make the cake. Maybe if blogging was my job instead of my ~~obsessive~~ hobby, I’d be more organized.

London-based band KOLO released their album “Do You Want To Rule The World” earlier this year. The aforementioned ‘Castro’ kicks the record off with pure alt-rock energy. The guitars are sick and I mean that in the best way.