How to make carrot cake

[Flavia Rubini, from Brazil, shows how to make carrot cake Brazilian style, with a chocolate topping.

 

Flavia Rubini
Flavia Rubini

Flavia Rubini came to Dunedin in 1997 to learn English, but she met her future husband and has stayed here ever since. She teaches Portuguese and Brazilian culture at the University of Otago.

She comes from Sao Paulo state, and her family lives about six hours from Sao Paulo city.

Her mother used to make this carrot cake every week for afternoon tea. It's quick, easy and different from the New Zealand variety.

 


Flavia Rubini's carrot cake. Photos by Gregor Richardson.
Flavia Rubini's carrot cake. Photos by Gregor Richardson.

Chocolate topping on carrot cake 

Ingredients

360g (2½ cups plus 1 Tbsp) flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
300g (about 2) carrots, grated
3 eggs
¾ cup canola or other mildly flavoured oil (not olive oil)
300g (1½ cups) caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)


Chocolate topping


2 Tbsp cocoa powder
4 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp butter or margarine, softened
5 Tbsp milk

Method

Turn oven to 180degC (not fan).

Lightly oil a ring tin and dust with flour.

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

In a blender, place the carrot, oil and eggs and blend until well-mixed. Add the sugar and vanilla if using. Blend again until all is liquid.

Pour into the flour and, using a metal spoon, fold together until combined. Pour into the prepared tin and shake gently to settle.

Bake for 35-45 minutes until golden on top. Test to check if it is done by inserting a toothpick or thin skewer into the centre. If the cake is is cooked it will come out clean.

To make the chocolate topping:Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and mix to a soft paste. Heat, stirring continuously until it melts and begins to simmer at the edges. Be careful not to let it burn.

Spoon the topping over the cake and let it dribble down the sides.

You can top the cake while it is still hot from the oven, or, if it is more convenient, when the cake is cold.


Tips

•  If you use a square or round tin instead of a ring tin, make sure it's large, as the cake expands during cooking.

•  You can use any chocolate topping but Flavia's mother used to make this one.

•  Flavia likes to poke holes in the top of the cake so some of the chocolate topping seeps in.

•  This cake is pale golden orange in colour, but Flavia says in Brazil it was bright orange because the carrots there are darker.


• Thanks to Afife Harris and Centre City New World.



 

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