Easy Two-Layer Carrot Cake with Butterscotch Cream Cheese
The Baking Pan: MasterPro Non-Stick Loose Base Round Deep Cake Pan
An 8 inch round cake tin is probably the most popular sized cake pan. I have many in my cupboard, but until recently, I didn’t own a deep cake pan nor one with a loose base. I decided to test the tin using my favourite carrot cake recipe which makes quite a runny batter.
MasterPro made the Non-stick Loose Base Deep Cake Pan from heavy-duty carbon steel and it comes with a superb double-layered non-stick coating. The combination ensures your cakes will unmould easily. Since the cake mixture is runny, I decided to line the tin with baking paper to make sure no batter leaks out. Once baked the cake released from the tin without any problems.
As the tin is dishwasher safe, it was a cinch to clean. The tin is also fridge and freezer safe and with a 20-year guarantee on quality, it’s made to last.
Here’s the recipe for you for this very moist and delicious cake. The method will make a deep 8 inch/20cm cake or a 23 cm cake. For all my recipes, I use a 250ml cup and a 20ml tablespoon, unsalted butter and 60g eggs. My oven is a conventional gas oven, so if yours is fan-forced, you may need to reduce the oven temperature by 20°C.
Moist Carrot Cake with Butterscotch Cream Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups (340g) self-raising flour
- 1 tsp each ground cinnamon and ginger & ½ tsp nutmeg
- 100g pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup (220g) caster sugar
- ½ cup (80g) brown sugar, lightly packed
- 250ml vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and grated (2½-3 cups grated)
- ½ cup canned, unsweetened, crushed pineapple, lightly drained
- Butterscotch Cream Cheese Icing
- 30 g (1 oz) butter
- 30 g (1 oz) brown sugar
- 30 ml of cream
- 2 tsp golden syrup
- Pinch salt flakes
- 180g cream cheese softened at room temperature
- 90g unsalted butter
- 3 cups sifted icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Glazed Pecans and Carrot Slices
- ½ cup pecan halves/half a carrot, very thinly sliced
- ¼ cup maple syrup or flavoured maple syrup
- Pinch of sea salt
Method
1. Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Line base and sides of a deep 20cm pan or a 23cm pan with baking paper.
2. Sift the flour and spices into a bowl. Toss through the chopped nuts. In a separate large bowl mix the eggs with the sugars. Add the oil and vanilla and stir well to combine then mix in the carrot. Start adding the flour and nut mixture in batches alternating with the pineapple. Lightly mix until combined where it should turn out runny.
3. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 60 minutes. If not cooked when tested, then cover the cake with a sheet of baking paper and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the centre of the cake is firm.
4. Cool in tin for 15 minutes on a wire rack before unmoulding then cool completely. When it cools down, remove the paper lining from the cake and split in half horizontally. Spread half the icing over the top of each cake, then stack one cake on top of the other. Scatter over the glazed nuts and carrot slices. You can also top the cake with a handful of coarsely chopped toasted pecans if you don’t feel like making the candied version.
Butterscotch Cream Cheese Icing
1. First, make the butterscotch. Combine the butter, brown sugar, cream and golden syrup in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until the butter melts, and the mixture is smooth. Cook for a minute or two until the mixture thickens then add a pinch of salt and set aside to cool.
2. In a small bowl combine the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of butterscotch. Beat the mixture until it’s soft and creamy.
Glazed Pecans and Carrot Slices
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (conventional). Toss pecans and sliced carrots in maple syrup then spread out in a single layer on a baking paper-lined baking tray. Keep the carrots separate from the pecans. Sprinkle the pecans with a few flakes of sea salt. Bake until maple syrup is caramelised and pecans are toasted, and carrots have developed a frilled edge, about 10 minutes.
I usually check the carrots after 5 minutes and then turn them over using a fork or tongs. Remember the maple syrup will be piping hot so don’t try to do this with your fingers. Let it cool completely on the baking sheet before storing the carrot slices and pecans in separate airtight containers.
Next Recipe: How to Make Little Rhubarb and Ginger Puddings
