Up your Easter entertaining by creating individual carrot cakes for dessert, soaked in syrup and topped with candied carrots.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Edwardian, English
Keyword Easter
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour20 minutesminutes
Servings 6servings
Ingredients
For the Cakes
2cupscarrot juiceMake your own
1 1/2inchfresh gingerpeeled and finely grated
6tbsp.unsalted buttersoftened
1 1/2cupsunbleached all purpose flour
1-1/2tsp.ground allspice
1tsp.ground cinnamon
1/2tsp.ground star anisesub: anise, fennel
1/2tsp.baking soda
1/4tsp.kosher salt
1/4cuplight brown sugar
2largeeggs
1/4cuppistachioschopped (for garnish
Candied Carrots
2largecarrotspeeled and cut into long julienne strands to yield 1 cup
2cupssugar
1mediumcinnamon stick
1wholewhole star anisesubs: anise, fennel seeds
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
Make a carrot reduction
Combine the carrot juice and ginger in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
Make the cakes
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. Butter and flour a 8 individual mini loaf pan or 12 muffin tins.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, allspice, cinnamon, star anise, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
On medium-low speed, add the eggs one at a time. On low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and the carrot reduction in two additions each. Mix each addition until just combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared moulds. Bake the cakes until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes.
Cool the cakes on a rack for 10 minutes and then carefully invert to remove from the molds. Cool the cakes upright on the rack. The cakes may be served warm or at room temperature.
Make the Candied Carrots
Bring the sugar and 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the carrots, cinnamon stick, and star anise.
Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer; simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are translucent, soft, and slightly sticky to the touch, about 30 minutes. Discard the cinnamon and star anise. Remove the carrots with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve the syrup to soak the cakes.
Serve
To serve, soak the cakes in the syrup for up to 15 minutes. Plate and garnish with the candied carrots and pistachios.
Notes
[ultimate-recipe id="20078" template="default"]
Tools You Can Use
As Mrs. Patmore says, “a poor workman blames his tools”. If you want to invest the time in learning to cook you should fortify yourself with proper cooking tools.I do love the hunt in my local cooking stores, but you can order items directly through Amazon, so you have more time to watch Downton.Mini Loaf Pan