Spring Carrot Cake

      This Saturday I went to a yoga class at a local brewery. (Yes, take a moment to appreciate that I get to go to drop-in yoga classes at a brewery. Lord knows, I am grateful for them!) The instructor talked about following your intuition and the path of your heart, versus making a decision out of fear in the desire of "taking the safer path." Right now, I feel somewhat at a crossroads with life and not knowing exactly what my heart says versus what is the decision made from living in fear. Sometimes we get so muddled in our heads; it is hard to balance and remember what we even really want. 

       It is times like this I turn to my mixing bowls. I start in the motions that I know. The motions that bring me peace. I mix my wet ingredients and my dry ingredients. I bring them together, get them in the oven and I wait until they begin to produce some new glorious smell in the kitchen. I think such a simple thing sometimes awakens my heart enough that I can hear it again and start to sort it all out. 

      The simplicity of a cake is sometimes all you need to bring you to a more grounded place. Cake is nostalgic and I think carrot cake in particular has strong a resonance of comfort. This carrot cake does not venture to far off your traditional versions, but there are two things I particularly love about it.

     First, it is not a spice cake. It has cinnamon and it lets that speak, but it is not overwhelmed with it; nor is it packed with an elaborate spice blend found in so many carrot cakes. This is simply an extremely moist carrot cake with hints or warmth. I also love that is it is packed with tang and citrus throughout. There is an extremely subtle orange simple syrup, which would be impossible for the eater to pick out, but adds that extra oomph. The cranberries, tart and zingy, are a bright and chewy addition scattered throughout.

Sometimes, the best thing about cake is eating it with the people you love. You can spot a glimpse of my co-baker in the back :)

     Finally, the lemon cream cheese frosting is made with lemon zest and juice. It delivers a sweet tang to the cake and creates an absolutely heavenly balance. Then the walnuts on the side add a creamy nuttiness. Their crunch and natural richness are a perfect compliment for the bright frosting. 

     Everyone has had carrot cake, and there are so many recipes for it. I can tell you though, particularly with spring abloom, this one is worth making. 

Adapted from the absolutely awesome, Joy the Baker's Cookbook by Joy Wilson

Ingredients:
Cake
3 1/3 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 TSP baking powder (2 TSP at sea-level)
3/4 TSP baking soda (1 TSP at sea-level)
1 TSP salt
2 TSP ground cinnamon
3 large eggs+1 large egg yolk
1 C granulated sugar
1 C + 2 TBSP packed brown sugar
1 3/4 C canola oil
1 C chunky (preferably homemade) applesauce
1 TSP vanilla extract
1 TSP hazelnut extract (or 1 more TSP vanilla extract)
3 C grated carrots
1/3 C moist, dried cranberries 

Instructions:
1. Place racks in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350 F. Grease, line with parchment, and flour 2, 9" round cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and cinnamon. 
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars and eggs until fully incorporated. Next, carefully add in the oil and patiently mix it in until it has fully combined with the sugar and eggs. It will seem like a lot of oil, but don't worry, just keep stirring and it will all work out :) 
4. Add the applesauce and extracts to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
5. Add the wet ingredients into the dry in one go and mix to incorporate but try to do it in as few strokes as possible. Stir around the edges and bottom and fold it for the most effective motion. 
6. When it is almost fully mixed together, add the carrots and cranberries and finish folding together. 
7. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 30-35 minutes until an inserted skewer comes out clean from the center.
8. Let the cakes cool for 15-20 minutes on a rack before inverting.

Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 C (1 stick), unsalted butter, softened

Pinch of salt

2 C powdered sugar

2 TSP vanilla extract

2 TSP lemon zest

1 TBSP lemon juice

1 C chopped walnuts for garnish (optional)

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment:
Beat the cream cheese for one minute, until light and pliable. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the butter and beat for another one to two minutes until there are no clumps left and the two are fully incorporated.
Add the lemon juice, zest, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla and beat on a low speed until everything is almost fully incorporated.
Scrape down the sides, and beat at medium speed until the mixture is smooth and all the powdered sugar has disappeared. 

Orange Flower Water Simple Syrup (optional): this will keep you cake moist for a longer time
Place 1 C water, 1 C sugar and 1.5 TSP in a medium sauce pan on medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove from heat and allow it to cool. (You could also use 1.5 TSP orange juice. It will be slightly different but if you wanted the oranginess. Also you can just make plain simple syrup and leave out the flavoring).
-You will have extra, you can half the recipe or just store in your fridge for any cakey goods you make soon. It lasts a good while. 

Assembly: 
Once the cake has completely cooled, place your first round down. Brush or drizzle on the simple syrup over the entire puck. Top with frosting and spread it evenly to the edges. 
Repeat with the second layer, this time topping it with all of the frosting, spreading it evenly out to the edges and then carefully spread down and around the sides with an spatula. 
Garnish the sides or top with nuts depending how you like it and how patient you want to be with trying to get nuts to evenly cover the sides.

Serve immediately. This cake will last about 3-5 days in your fridge.

Love, 
Boulder Butter

Gingerbread Cake with Cranberry Streusel

       So it may seem I once again disappeared between posts for a while, but I can assure you this recipe is worth the wait. Last week, I tested a new baking book's banana muffins, not intending to blog them since it was my first time using that source. They were brilliant: little nuanced additions and techniques created the most decadently creamy and moist banana bread I've ever had. Alas, I had no photos, so I could not share them. (Not to fret, that recipe will come.) Then three days of dedicated banana muffin eating passed by and I reentered the kitchen with a new baking project. I prepared a post, took photos and was excited to share, only to find out in the end, my peanut butter ice cream was a disaster I could bare pretend worth sharing. So finally, at the start of a bitterly cold week in Colorado, I made the ideal winter snacking cake-and it is absolutely worth sharing.

       It is a deep ginger bread cake, with robust dark molasses, which needlessly to say, pairs well with the heavy ginger spices. Other notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove dance around to add complimentary warmth. The molasses is met with equal parts honey that brings of a more floral sweetness to the cake, particularly around the edges where the heat directly caramelizes it. However, it is the most subtle difference which will enhance the cakes tons, but be the ingredient that people cannot figure out what is slightly different. 

        Then comes my favorite part: the topping. The cake is covered with a crunchy, light streusel. It forms crunchy bites of sweetness sprinkled all over. Next to the natural bitterness of molasses and ginger, it could not be a more perfect compliment. I know if most people add dried fruit to gingerbread, the go with candied ginger, but I am telling you, cranberries will quickly change your mind. They are equally warm in profile to the cake base, enhancing its natural and desirable qualities. They then give a sticky, soft contrast to the crunchy streusel and tartness to the sweet. The bottom is warm and happy and the top is to die for. Digging your fork through them both and getting a thick bite is just what you should do to survive this horrendous cold. Serve it with tea and you are in business. 

Cake portion adapted from Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker

**This cake is very specific to high altitude adjustments. You can use the streusel topping anywhere, but if you are not at altitude, please read the changes at the bottom of the page. Then follow the normal instructions starting at #7. 

Ingredients: 
Cake: 
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 TSP baking soda
1/2 TSP salt
1/4 TSP cinnamon
1/4 TSP nutmeg
1/8 TSP clove
1 TSP ginger
1/2 C (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
1/3 C+ 1 TBSP dark molasses
1/3 C + 1 TBSP honey
2/3 C boiling water

Topping: 
3 TBSP cold butter
3 TBSP flour
6 TBSP sugar
1 TSP cinnamon
1/3 C dried cranberries

Instructions: 
1. Grease and line a 9" round baking pan. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and ginger. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, then beat for another 30 seconds on high, until light and fluffy.
5. Add in the molasses and honey, then beat until fully incorporated. 
6. Switch to a spatula. In 3 additions of flour mixture and 2 additions of boiling water, add the two alternating (starting and ending with the flour) to the liquids. Mix in the ingredients until fully combined, mixing and scraping down the sides between each addition.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, even out the top and set it aside.
8. In a small bowl, cut together the butter, flour, sugar, and cinnamon until they have broken into large pea sized clumps.
9. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over top, then sprinkle the cranberries on top as well. 
10. Bake for 40-50 minutes, removing when an inserted knife or toothpick comes out clean of the middle.
11. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then invert the cake to remove it from the pan and turn over once more to serve streusel side up. 
The cake is best warm and would be heavenly with a dollop of whipped cream (then again most things would be heavenly with a dollop of whipped cream.)

**For those not at altitude (changes are italicized):
1/2 C Butter
1/2 C Sugar
1 Egg
2 1/2 C AP flour (sifted)
1 1/2 TSP baking soda
1 TSP ginger
1/4 TSP each cinnamon and nutmeg
1/8 TSP clove
1/2 TSP salt
1/2 C dark molasses
1/2 C honey
1 C boiling water

1. Melt the butter and allow to cool.
2. Beat together the egg and sugar.
3. Stir in the butter to the eggs and sugar.
4. In a separate bowl sift all the dry ingredients together.
5.  In another bowl, combine the molasses, honey and water.
6. Add the dry mixture and wet mixtures alternating as described in step 6 above. 
   Continue with the recipe as normal from here.