Colombian Carrot Cake

No ratings yet

A carrot cake made with orange juice and cinnamon, without the cream cheese frosting of the American version. The carrot goes into the blender with the melted margarine rather than being folded in grated, which is what gives it its even, dense crumb. One hour, eight portions.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Colombian

Keyword: carrot cake

Servings:

Calories: 521kcal

Author: Angela Giraldo

Ingredients

2 cups flour
250 grams margarine about 1 cup; butter works too and tastes better
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups grated carrot roughly 3 medium carrots
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ cup raisins or chopped almonds
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup orange juice freshly squeezed if you can

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Melt the margarine and let it cool. Blend it with the carrot in a blender or food processor until you have a smooth purée.
Tip the purée into a bowl and mix, adding the sugar, eggs, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder and the raisins or almonds one at a time. The orange juice goes in last.
Grease a cake tin with butter and dust the sides with flour so the cake does not stick. Pour the mixture in evenly.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Test it with a skewer in the middle: if it comes out clean and dry, it is done.
Let the cake cool before turning it out. Decorate as you like and serve.

Notes

The blender is the part that surprises people. Most carrot cakes fold in grated carrot, which leaves visible orange threads; here it goes into the blender with the melted margarine and comes out as a purée, so the crumb is even and dense rather than shreddy. Do not skip cooling it before turning it out: a warm carrot cake carries a lot of moisture and breaks apart in the tin. If you want the American version, cream cheese frosting goes on once it is completely cold, though this one is sweet enough to eat plain.

Nutrition