Classic carrot cake - Eat Well Recipe - NZ Herald (2024)

FAQs

Why is my carrot cake dense and heavy? ›

Your cake is too dense A cake that is overly dense typically has too much liquid, too much sugar or too little leavening (not excess flour, as is commonly thought).

This is because too much batter in one cake tin may result in the weight of the batter being too much for the cake to support, causing the cake to collapse and sink in the middle as it bakes. This is especially true for cake recipes which have a more softer, delicate structure to them, which many of my cake recipes do.

Most of its flavor comes from brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and carrots. Ginger adds the most delicious zing, but it isn't overpowering at all. The cake is dense, but each forkful tastes super soft and extra lush.

Carrot cake (also known as passion cake) is cake that contains carrots mixed into the batter.

If a recipe includes a lot of acid such as lemon juice and buttermilk and isn't lifted with enough baking powder, the cake will taste dense. In that case, you may need the addition of baking soda which will react with the acid and create a fluffier crumb.

On their own, boxed cake mixes have a structure that's loose and airy. But if you add ¼ cup flour or half a box of instant pudding mix, the texture of the cake becomes denser and tighter, ideal for a pound-cake-like consistency that will hold the shape of a Bundt pan.

Carrots contain pigments that are sensitive to changes in pH balance. When the shreds of carrot come into contact with the alkaline baking soda, a chemical reaction takes place that causes the pigments to change color.

Overbaking: Overbaking a cake can also make it taste bitter. If you are baking a carrot cake, be sure to check it frequently and remove it from the oven as soon as it is done. Certain spices: Some spices, such as cinnamon and cloves, can have a bitter taste if used in excess.

The key to getting an intense carrot flavor in my cake is using two types of carrots: a caramelized carrot puree and finely shredded carrots. Roasted and pureed carrots make this cake intensely carrot flavored. Carrots are a natural source of sugar, and roasting them at a high temperature caramelizes the sugars within.

Commonly referred to as 'chai tow kway' in the Teochew dialect, these smooth and soft fried rice cakes can be found in almost every hawker centre. It is served black (fried with sweet dark soya sauce) or white (original).

Is white or black carrot cake healthier? ›

A Health Breakfast to Start The Day Right

If you hunger for a plate of fragrant carrot cake or chye tau kueh, choose the plain white carrot cake (402 Calories) over the black, (556 Calories); it's just as delicious, but over 100 Calories lighter.

Carrot cake — and any other cake, for that matter — with cream cheese frosting does need to be stored in the refrigerator. But happily, this is a cake that's moist and delicious even when served cold, though we're willing to bet you won't have leftovers for long.

19th century French cookbooks written for wealthy kitchens published recipes for carrot cake. Early 20th century American bakers prepared carrot cake as an exotic German delicacy.

Carrot cake is thought to have originated in England where housewives used sweet products (e.g carrots) to naturally sweeten their confections during World War II.

Carota sativa (Hoffm.)

The first thing I would check is your baking powder. It loses it's leavening power over time, giving you a dense cake. Also check your method of mixing. Under creaming the butter and sugar mixture, and not completely mixing in the eggs have quite an impact on the finished product.

If your cake is too dense or too heavy, you may need more leavening or liquid, or you may have used too much sugar or shortening. If your cake crust is too light, you may need more sugar. If your cake doesn't have good flavor, your formula may be unbalanced, or you may need to check the quality of your ingredients.

8. My cake is very dense. This could be because a/ the cake mixture hasn't had enough air beaten into it, b/ the eggs were added too quickly and curdled or c/ there's not enough raising agent.

Oftentimes, an overly dense cake can be the result of using too much sugar, liquids, or baking powder — and even baking your cake at too low a temperature.