But first, here's the icing recipe I used which I totally think you should try because it's delicious. I got it from a friend in high school.
Cinnamon Icing If nothing else, I really, really highly recommend saving and trying out this. 2 tbsp butter 4 tsp hot water 1 tsp vanilla or so Generous shake of cinnamon 1 c powdered sugar Melt butter, add hot water. Whisk in vanilla and cinnamon, then add powdered sugar. Stir until smooth. Spread on cake 15-20 minutes after it's out of the oven. |
Chocolate Carrot Cake 4 oz semisweet chocolate 1½ c or 7½ oz almonds 1 cup firmly packed shredded carrots (3 medium) 5 eggs, separated ¾ c sugar ⅓ c breadcrumbs Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 9" square pan. Melt the chocolate. Grind the almonds. Beat the egg yolks and ½ c. sugar in a small until pale and creamy. Add the chocolate and stir just enough to mix. Dump into a larger bowl and add the almonds, breadcrumbs, and carrots. Using clean beaters, beat the egg whites to a foam that kind of holds a shape. Gradually add the sugar on medium speed and beat until stiff but not dry. Fold the egg whites into the rest of everything in 4 or 5 additions. Put into the pan and bake about 45 minutes- it should shrink from the sides of the pan, spring back when pressed, and there should be no liquid if tested with a knife. |
It seemed inevitable I should make this one next. It's got chocolate in it. Aside from the extra breadcrumbs, it looked more or less like a chocolate version what is by far my favorite carrot cake to date. It's in the Bible which has never let me down. It's got chocolate in it. Did I mention chocolate?
Apropos of nothing, I really like this picture. I call it "Landscape of Ground Almonds with Orange Rind Splats." |
Little did I know how many dishes were going to be involved in making this. If you don't like handwashing dishes, have no one else to hand the job to, and don't have a dishwasher, you're not going to like the experience. You know what? Let's count the bowls, each of which I really wanted to spit-polish at some point while making this.
BOWL #1: Melting the chocolate.
Sometimes I'm surprised I cook anything with chocolate in it. Every time I melt it I really want to just get a spoon and eat it all.
BOWL #2: Beating egg yolks and sugar like I believed they'd turn into whipped cream.
And then adding the chocolate. Yes, it did taste really good. Really good. |
Every time I make something with beaten egg whites, I want to call the recipe off and make a meringue pie. |
At this point, I was having conflicting feelings about how many bowls I'd dragged out and how much tasty things were waiting to be licked off. I don't think I've fully explained how much I really like cake batter and cookie dough. When we were little, my dad's work transferred him to Taiwan for about a year. Among other things, our eggs were so fresh Mom had to rinse off the chicken poop before cracking them. Nevertheless, there are multiple pictures of a preschool-aged me in a high chair with a spatula in one hand and the absolutely stupidest 4-year-old grin on my face.
Given that my love of cake batter makes no exceptions for things like this, so one bowl lined with chocolate cream, another lined with meringue, and a third with straight chocolate just sitting there were... well, I could feel them staring at me.
Yes, I also tried some of the carrot-almond-orange rind paste. It was good. |
There may be slight spillage. |
Note also the two sets of beaters. |
I even did the dishes that didn't fit in the frame. |
At this angle, you can't see the holes from sticking a fork in it. |
However, I wouldn't serve this to people expecting chocolate cake. It's got a lot of other flavors in it as well.
I brought it to work. I think one person's comments sum it up the best:
"It's really good. The flavor kind of hits you in the face. It's like, it wants to be chocolate but there's something else in there, isn't there?"
Also, I cannot cut a cake in straight lines.
Although it turns out I do better at 3AM than had I made this in the middle of the day. |
And so, in conclusion, if you have a working dishwasher, I'd totally recommend trying this.
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