What’s better than homemade cake? How about one using pickles? Is that even possible? As crazy as the idea sounds, I put my girlfriend, Kristina, to the test. The result: perhaps one of the most intensely flavored carrot cakes I have ever experienced. I suppose It’s part of her charm and her ability to pull magic out of the hat. She has proven that making a cake recipe, using DC’s pickled Orange and Cumin Carrots does, in fact, work.

This impressively moist cake has deep flavor. Topped with a velvety smooth, tangy cream cheese frosting and texture with toasted pecans. A double dose of fresh orange juice and zest in the frosting, adds delicious depth of true orange flavor.

I particularly like the use of green cardamom in the cake mixture, and not to mention the citrusy, floral qualities that enhance the sweet and savory flavors.

Nothing is more exciting than shaking up an old-fashioned recipe by adding a modern taste - give it a try!

From my house to yours,
Brendan

DC’s Orange and Cumin Cake
serves 10-12
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
¾ cups of vegetable oil
¾ cups of buttermilk
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ½ cups of Donovan’s Cellar Orange Cumin carrots
1 cup nuts and dried fruits (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two 8” round cake pans with wax paper.  Grease with oil and flour.  Set pans aside. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and the four spices.  Set aside.

Beat eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk and vanilla at medium speed in a stand mixer, until smooth.  Add the flour mixture and beat on low, until all combined.  Remove from stand mixer and add in grated carrots (You can grate the carrots in a food processor - much easier).  Fold in with a rubber spatula.  Pour batter into the two cake pans.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Use a paring knife to insert in center of cake and, if clean, cake is done.  Cool cakes in the pan on a wire rack.

Orange Cream Cheese frosting
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 stick of unsalted butter
Zest of one navel orange (yields about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon of juice from the orange
1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract
2 cups of confectioners sugar

Beat together cream cheese and butter, until smooth.  Add zest, juice and vanilla, and beat until combined.  Add sugar (one cup at a time) until all combined and frosting is of medium consistency.