Easter Sunday is over, but that doesn’t mean that the wonderful foods that we associate with the holiday can’t stick around for a little while longer. As Sunday’s leftovers slowly disappear from the fridge, replenish your spread and sate your sweet tooth with a carrot cake so good it will send bunnies hopping. Fresh grated carrots, fluffy mounds of cream cheese frosting and plump, juicy raisins simmered to perfection in Washington-made brandy make this cake utterly superb. Try using BelleWood Distilling’s Eau de Vie Brandy. This old world-style brandy lends a light apple aroma to this moist and textured cake. Serve this cake chilled alongside a hot mug of your favorite coffee.
Prep time: 25 minutes
Bake time: 35-40 minutes
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 ¼ cup flour (plus more for dusting the pan)
2 eggs
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 stick (8 ounces) butter, room temperature
1 cup, packed brown sugar
2 cups shredded carrots
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup water
½ cup BelleWood Distilling Eau de Vie Brandy
½ cup dried raisins
For the frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 ½ sticks butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
For the frosting:
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together cream cheese, sugar, butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Chill in fridge for at least one hour before frosting cake.
For the cake:
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm brandy and raisins. Simmer until raisins are plump and no liquid remains in the pan, about five minutes.
In a small mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip eggs, butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy on medium-high speed, about 3 minutes.
Add water and vanilla to sugar mixture, and continue mixing on medium-high speed until ingredients are well incorporated.
Replace whisk attachment with paddle attachment. On low speed add dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Add carrots and raisins,mix for 1 more minute.
Pour batter into two greased and floured 8” rounds, or one 9×13” pan. Cook for 35-40 minutes (less for rounds), or until toothpick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
After frosting, store cake in fridge. This will keep the frosting firm. Then simply slice, serve and enjoy.
