Tuesday’s With Dorie….
So one of my Un-Midas victims was this carrot cake that we were making for Tuesday’s With Dorie. Now you are looking at it and saying, doesn’t look that bad. Well let me tell you, I went through a lot of cake just to get a semi-decent looking cut out. Every time I went to level it out, I seemed to make it worse…until I just gave up. 
I deviated quite a bit this time. I only used 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour and used almond flour to give it a more dense, torte like texture. Taste wise I was loving the cake, even though aesthetic wise it didn’t want to work with me. I changed the cream cheese frosting to a honey crème fraiche cream cheese frosting that goes very well with carrot cake. Oh and I made a peach-apricot sorbet. The last time I had carrot cake at restaurant it was served with an apricot sorbet and it went so very nicely with the cake that I wanted to make it at home. I only had a few frozen apricots so I had to go out and buy some peaches. You can make it with fresh if you can find them in your parts.
Speaking of the sorbet. Again, it turned out but that darn stuff would not stay still. Even though the plate had been frozen the sorbet thought it was suppose to ice skate all over the plate. Seriously, ran all over the place. It sucked big time to try and get photos of it.
A lot of people ditched the coconut in this recipe but I really liked it and I think it helped add to the moisture. I don’t think it really gives it an coconut flavor so if you are on the fence about coconut, I would throw it in there. I also didn’t add nuts since I used almond flour. I didn’t want to conflict my nuts…I hate when that happens. 
So thanks to Amanda of Slow Like Honey for picking a tasty cake. To see most likely a more traditional take on the cake go to the Tuesday’s With Dorie site for all the TWD participants.
Bill’s Big Carrot Cake
Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Yields 10 servings
Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
3 cups grated carrots (about 9 carrots, you can grate them in food processor fitted w/ a shredding a blade or use a box grater)
1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
½ cup moist, plump golden raisins
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs
Getting ready:
Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter three 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, flour the insides, and tap out the excess. Put the two pans on one baking sheet and one on another.
To make the cake:
Whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut, and raisins.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil together on a medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Gently mix the chunky ingredients. Divide the batter among the baking pans.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until a thin knife inserted into the centers comes out clean. The cakes will have just started to come away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes and unmold them. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.
The cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.
Honey Creme Fraiche Cream Cheese Frosting
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 ounces creme fraiche(if you can’t find use greek yogurt, such as Fage)
3 TBSP honey
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar(you may use more depending on your sweet tooth)
Cream together cream cheese and creme fraiche. Mix together for about 3 minutes. Add honey and mix until incorporated. Add powdered sugar a 1/2 cup at a time until you reach desired sweetness level.
Peach-Apricot Sorbet
3 cups frozen sliced peaches
1 cup frozen sliced apricots
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
Defrost peaches and apricots(preferably in fridge over night).
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until thick and smooth.
Freeze peach mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions.
Sorbet should be thickened in about 25 minutes; Scoop sorbet into a freezer-safe container and freeze for a few hours.
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:32 am
Oh gosh…I just hate it when my nuts have conflict! lol
Pretty beautiful, even though you say there were problems. Very inspired added the sorbet. Very French bistro-ish.
April 22nd, 2008 at 2:21 am
This looks fine - better than fine!
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:27 am
So perfect… look at that moist crumb… nothing beats a good carrot cake!
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:00 am
I think it’s beautiful. Looks divine.
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:08 am
You could have fooled me that your Carrot Cake was one of your “Un-Midas victims” - it looks perfect!! Peabody, you are FAR too modest :0)
I saw your question on my blog - I have never baked with graham flour… do you make your own, or purchase it? I’ve never seen it at Whole Foods (I don’t think..)
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:29 am
Honey creme fraiche cream cheese frosting sounds amazing, as does the sorbet! Awesome ideas!
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:48 am
Peach-apricot sorbet & carrot cake?!?! Girl, that bad ju-ju is surely gone!
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:59 am
Wow- your combinations sound delicious and look even better. I wish I was as daring! I think it looks wonderful
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:59 am
Oh my, they both look outta this world!
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:06 am
The frosting and sorbet recipes look yummy–I’m going to have to give them a try. I’m sorry that everything was so uncooperative this week. It’s really annoying when things don’t go the way you want them to.
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:06 am
Fabulous looking cake! I love the little buttons on top and serving it with a peach apricot sorbet, well that’s plain genius!!! Well done!
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:17 am
The piped icing makes it look so elegant and I love the idea of the ground almonds, it looks delicious!
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:41 am
Oh, it isn’t pretty when nuts collide.
Just picked up an amazing jar of orange blossom honey at the farmer’s market, and now I have something new to do with it. Yessssss. Thanks!
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:54 am
YUM! … and very pretty!
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:17 am
your cake looks beautiful! love the piped drops. and peach-apricot sorbet sounds like the perfect partner!
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:30 am
Well it looks great…sorbet, cake and all.
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:08 am
Hey Peabody, your changes to this recipe are a nice detour on a simple and tasty cake. I also had similiar problems with the actually structure of the cake. My layers wouldn’t stay and the middle sunk quite a bit. But it was yummy nonetheless.
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:14 am
Conflicting nuts and skating sorbet. Awesome. No matter what challenges there were, that cake still looks wonderful with the beautiful frosting swirls on top. I love it! (Oh, and I thought of you when I was making my cupcakes - you’ll know why when you see the frosting). Great job!
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:25 am
I love creme fraiche. Great idea to lessen the sweetness. I knew I would see something creative at your site.
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:28 am
Love the creative twists you put on these recipes! I’ll have to try the honey creme fraiche frosting.
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:44 am
I actually tried this cake for Easter (and blogged about it, heh)~ was not impressed at all. I agree that the coconut just keeps it moist, not really a flavor thing. I ended up making a whole different batch and spiced things up quite a bit. Love the peach-apricot sorbet tho. That sounds like the absolute perfect accompaniement.
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:56 am
honey crème fraiche cream cheese frosting ?!? get outta town! u sure knoe how to bring a traditional recipe up a notch. serving it with peach-apricot sorbet. now tts the real deal!
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:09 am
Coconut is always my “secret” ingredient in my carrot cake. Secret only in that no one can taste it in there, but it adds so much to the cake’s texture and richness.
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:14 am
Well I think it looks incredible…I love the little blobby clouds of frosting! YUM!
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:18 am
Your cake came out beautiful Peabody! I Love the creme fraiche cream cheese frosting idea
I also had to laugh at the skating sorbet… definitely something rhat would happen to me!!
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:22 am
Pea, I don’t believe all your whining. No signs of kitchen disaster here. This is gorgeous!
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:53 am
I suck. I haven’t been able to keep up with your prolific posting. Can I just say that everything you’re posting looks really damn good and it’s killing me? When my treatments are done, I’m coming to your house and I’m going to sit in your kitchen polishing off everything you photograph for the blog… That sorbet rules.
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:53 am
Mmmm… honey creme fraiche. Definitely have to try that recipe out. Great job!
Clara @ I♥food4thought
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:29 am
it’s a shame it didn’t turn out like you wanted, Pea, but it certainly looks delish! And I love the topping choice, too.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:06 am
Oh, my!
It’s so beautiful. Easter is later this year for Orthodox, so I have a perfect opportunity to make it this Sunday!
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:18 pm
yum! Looks delicious!
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I’m always up for trying new carrot cake recipes, since I seldom find one I like. I’m always impressed with how you keep working on a recipe until you get it to work for you — I tend to just give up!
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:41 pm
The cake looks beautiful - no matter what you had to go through to get there! And that Peach-Apricot
sorbet! I’d probably skip the cake and go for that, myself. Lovely!
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:51 pm
I should think things will be greatly improved very shortly at you house and oven. I missed you visit to Dallas and my house but I know you were here and I have a picture to prove it.
Your right I think that carrot cake looks divine - beautiful dense moist !! Is that what almond flour will do, I’ve got to try that.
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:53 pm
The frosting you used sounds soooo good and very creative!
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
So very pretty, despite your problems. I agree the coconut didn’t seem to add much flavor–just texture, in a good way. I make a yummy apricot sorbet using apricot nectar from a can, mixed with a little honey to taste. That’s it! And then churn it and you are good to go–so refreshing. Great idea!
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Very cool twist on this. Looks yummy and I wouldn’t never have known your sorbet’s dream was to play for the Flames.
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:09 pm
if you hadn’t have said, i don’t think anyone would have known you had issues. your cakelette looks lovely (and i will have to try that frosting soon–sounds great!). and way to go with a molded sorbet! maybe a few cake crumbs underneath would keep it from sliding?
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Beautiful!
(GO FLAMES!!!)
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Great idea even if the sorbet did melt all over the place…beautiful!
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:58 pm
It looks lovely. I’ll have to give that frosting a try. I bet it is delicious on the carrot cake!
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Yeah for bad ju-ju gone! “conflicting your nuts”…oh boy! Precious! The cake turned out gorgeous, especially with the sorbet!
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:20 pm
that cake is stunning!
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Love the cute frosting! Great job salvaging!
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:33 pm
You’re right…I’m thinking it looks wonderful! And honey cream cheese frosting yum!
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Honey fraiche buttercream sounds heavenly! And I think your cake looks pretty!
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:33 pm
How cute is that carrot cake and the honey cream cheese frosting is to die for. I wish I was there to lick the spoon!
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Ah, if only my challenges looked so good. Cute and yummy looking cake and the piped frosting is lovely touch.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:52 pm
That cake looks incredibly delicious and moist! Very pretty!
Cheers,
Rosa
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:26 am
Uh I can’t see your pictures. I wanted to see that sorbet really badly! Since I love peaches and apricots I can only imagine a heavenly taste when they are combined.
April 23rd, 2008 at 4:45 am
It’s so pretty, nice work!!
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:00 am
The little “kisses” on top are perfect! I like your idea of serving peach apricot sorbet with it.
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:37 am
Cute frosting. They look delicious. I love the peach sorbet. A sign that winter is almost over (It’s been a long one here up North)
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Looks great-even if it gave you some trouble. Yum.
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Your carrot cake looks pretty aesthetically pleasing to ME. And I’m with you… I loved the texture that the coconut added. I’m intrigued by your frosting and will definitely try it myself next time.
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:48 pm
As always you have out done yourself! Fantastic!!!
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Carrot cake has to be my #1 favorite dessert but I’ve never made it before.
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:41 pm
You do know that carrot muffins were the very next thing on my list, right? I need to go through your archives again. That cake is looking beyond luscious, peabody.
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Gorgeous, simply gorgeous. Carrot cake with apricot sorbet…it sounds so good.
Natalie @ Gluten a Go Go
April 24th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
This site is so lovely! I love the pics. What lens do you use?
April 24th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Absolutely divine!
April 24th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Very beautiful! I love your cute little white buttons of frosting!
April 26th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Oh my goodness do you make you beautiful dessert plates. I totally agree with you about the coconut; I thought it really made the cake. The frosting that you made to go with the carrot cake sounds like a dream, and the sorbet looks perfect. Wonderful work!
April 27th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
I agree, the coconut added something nice to the cake, without adding the flavor of coconut. Even my coconut disliking child loved the cake.
April 30th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
It looks wonderfully moist! great looking cake!
May 6th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
wow, somehow i overlooked this post! i hate leveling cakes so i understand your frustration. i love how you decorated it w/the creme fraiche though
May 9th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
[…] found in Iowa, directions are something normal people can do and so forth). And when the post for the carrot cake came up in my reader I was in heaven. Now up top is my very own version of Peabody’s carrot […]