American Southern-style carrot cake

• Produce

  • 2 cups Carrot
  • 1/8 tsp Ginger, ground
  • 1 Lemon, Zest of
  • 85 g Sultanas
  • 220 g Tinned crushed pineapple

• Refrigerated

  • 3 Eggs, large

• Condiments

  • 2 tsp Corn syrup, light
  • 60 ml Lemon juice

• Baking & Spices

  • 165 g ( 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 2 tsp Baking powder
  • 1 Buttermilk glaze
  • 275 g Castor sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon, ground
  • 1 Cream cheese frosting
  • 185 g Icing sugar
  • 1/8 tsp Nutmeg, ground
  • 300 g Plain flour
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 4 tsp Vanilla

• Nuts & Seeds

  • 50 g Coconut
  • 115 g Pecans or walnuts

• Dairy

  • 310 g Butter, unsalted
  • 245 ml Buttermilk
  • 375 g Cream cheese

• Other

  • ¾ tsp bi-carbonate of soda

Found on nonnascooking.com

Description

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 170ºC (160ºC fan-forced). Lightly grease and flour the base and sides of 3 x 20 cm round cake tins, then line the bases with baking paper.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and beating well after each addition. Switch to using a hand-held whisk, then add the buttermilk and whisk to combine but don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt and spices, then stir with the whisk until combined. Now switch to using a rubber spatula and fold in the carrot, pineapple, coconut, nuts and sultanas until combined. Divide the batter between the prepared tins and spread until even. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand the cakes in the tins for 1­-2 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the cake and invert them onto a wire rack to cool completely before assembling.
• To make the buttermilk glaze, place all the ingredients except the vanilla in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over medium - high heat. Cook for 6-7 minutes or until the glaze takes on a lovely dark golden colour, adjusting the intensity of the heat if the mixture threatens to overflow. Remove mixture from the heat as soon as the right colour is achieved. Reducing the mixture too much will make it very thick and it won’t be easily absorbed by the cake. When you’re satisfied with the colour, stir in the vanilla, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before using.
• To make the frosting, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla until smooth. Switch to using a wooden spoon and gently stir in the lemon juice and zest. Using a spoon will prevent you from over-beating and splitting the frosting when adding the lemon juice.
• To assemble, place one cake on the serving plate, with the base facing upwards. Spread one third of the glaze over the surface, then spread with a layer of frosting. Repeat with the remaining cakes, then cover the sides and top with frosting. 
• Notes
• • If you want to use oil instead of butter, the method is much quicker, though personally I prefer the flavour of the butter in this cake over oil. Simply substitute the butter with 125 ml (½ cup) vegetable oil and mix all the wet ingredients together (except for the pineapple and carrot), then add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Follow the remainder of the recipe as described above.
• This recipe is from Poh & Co.  
• This recipe is part of Poh's Cook's Cuts, a series of video tutorials narrated by Poh Ying Leow. Find more recipes, tips and tricks here.