Baking Experiment -- Recipe

[gnomi]

Chocolate Carrot Cake
(from 365 Great Chocolate Desserts by Natalie Haughton)

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 c. corn oil (note from NSB -- I used vegetable oil)
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
4 squares (1 oz each) unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 Tbsp grated orange zest
Juice from 1 large orange (about 1/3 to 1/2 c.)
1 c. sour cream
2 1/2 c. flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c. finely grated carrots
1 c. dark raisins (note from NSB -- I left these out, not being a gigantic fan of raisins in cakes)
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8-inch square baking pans. Dust with flour; tap out excess.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, oil, and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate, orange zest, orange juice, and sour cream.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to chocolate mixture, beating just enough to combine. Stir in carrots, raisins, and chocolate chips. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans 10 minutes, then unmold onto racks to cool completely. Fill and frost cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting. Refrigerate until serving time.

Serves 12.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 tsp orange extract
4 c. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp buttermilk (Note from NSB -- I used water instead)

In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter, and orange extract with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Gradually beat in powdered sugar and buttermilk until blended, then beat on high speed until smooth and fluffy.

Comments

[pfodge.livejournal.com]

Carrot Cake is definitely a weakness of mine, now we are adding chocolate to it? *just dies* I am adding this to my memories to do my own experimenting with later.

[aunt-becca.livejournal.com]

I never would have never thought of making carrot cake chocolate. Just when it couldn't get any better.....