Chocolate Carrot Cake
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott/Not Quite Nigella
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- 250g/8.83ozs. grated carrots (half finely grated, half coarsely grated)
- 1.5 cups chocolate buds (small ones, not the large ones, if they are large, chop them up)
- 1 cup crushed pineapple, well drained (press down with the back of a wooden spoon)
- 3/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
- 2 1/4 cups self raising cake flour*
- 1.5 cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/4 cup fizzy drink (can be soda water, cola or beer)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
For frosting (doing a half half icing style)
- 1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread
- 125g/4ozs. cream cheese, softened
- 65g/2.29ozs. butter, softened
- 1 cup icing or powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon pepitas to decorate
- 1 tablespoon walnut pieces to decorate
*To make 2 1/4 cups of self raising cake flour, place 4 tablespoons of fine cornstarch in a measuring jug. Add four teaspoons of baking powder and then top up to the 2 1/4 cup mark with plain all purpose flour.
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 160C/320F and line a 20cm/8inch baking tin with parchment. Place the grated carrots, chocolate, pineapple and pecans in a bowl and mix until combined. In another bowl place the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt and mix well. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients.
Step 2 - Place the oil and eggs in a jug and whisk together. Add the fizzy drink and whisk lightly until it emulsifies. Add half of the wet liquid into the well and fold, then add the remainder along with the pineapple and carrot mix. Place into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool completely and split cake in half horizontally.
Step 3 - Place the chocolate hazelnut spread in one piping bag. Set aside.
Step 4 - Beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth. On low speed add the icing sugar and vanilla and once combined, increase speed to medium. Place in a piping bag. If it is too soft, place the bag in the fridge to firm up.
Step 5 - Place one layer on a serving plate and pipe one half with the cream cheese and the other with the chocolate hazelnut spread. Place the other cake half on top and then repeat with the cream cheese and chocolate hazelnut spread lining up the flavours. Sprinkle the cream cheese icing with the pepitas and the chocolate icing with the walnuts.