Carrot Walnut Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

Carrot Walnut Cake

As a baker, have you ever been at a restaurant or coffee shop and with succes did not order that big piece of cake you actually wanted? Have you then, got home and baked it anyway? And then, not only ate 1 slice like you would have done at the restaurant, but ate multiple slices? If your answer is "yes" on all three questions: Congratulations! You are officially an obsessed foodie! Or a compulsive over-eater. What's the difference anyway?

I am certainly guilty over this. And it happens a lot. Whenever I'm at a grocery store and I see the baked goods, or at a restaurant trying out the dessert menu, I always think I can make it better. Not prettier, but better tasting. And I usually do. I went at a coffee café in my city Maastricht and ordered a tomato/mozerella sandwich, while secretly vying the carrot cake that was 2 meters away from me in the window display. I gave myself a pat on the back for not ordering it. But then I went grocery shopping, and carrots and cream cheese just magically fell in my grocery wagon. And before I knew it, I was baking a carrot cake. Nothing to be ashamed about, especially when it tastes so good. But then again, doesn't it always?

Taste: 5+ out of 5
Consistency: 5 out of 5
Overall appeal: 5 out of 5




Carrot Walnut Cake: MarthaStewart.com

Ingredients:
- 10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for mold
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar (I used white sugar and it was fine)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup packed peeled grated carrots (4 to 5 carrots)
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for mold
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup walnuts, toasted, finely chopped

Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch (5-cup) trois freres mold or Bundt pan. Dust with flour, and tap out excess. Put butter and brown sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and carrots, and mix until just combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix until just combined. Stir in walnuts.
- Pour batter into the prepared mold. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Turn out cake onto rack, and let cool completely. Before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar. Cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.




Cream Cheese Frosting: The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook (divided by 4)

Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cup confectioners' sugar
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:
- In a small bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the vanilla and beat well. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, beating continously until smooth and creamy.

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