About This Recipe:
Step into the kitchen, where the essence of the season comes alive in a delightful creation. Today, we celebrate the abundance of nature with a recipe that honors the beauty of seasonal ingredients. Imagine a cake that showcases the vibrant flavors of garden-fresh carrots, harvested at the peak of their flavor, adding a burst of natural sweetness and earthy goodness. But that’s not all—this cake goes one step further by incorporating the delicate essence of chamomile flowers. These gentle blooms infuse the cake with a subtle floral undertone that harmonizes with the carrots, creating a delightful and unique flavor profile. To crown this masterpiece, a velvety Swiss meringue buttercream frosting is generously spread, elevating the cake to new heights with its smooth texture and luscious flavor.
Watch Me Make This Recipe:
@carmeninthegarden Garden to Table Dinner and Dessert! 🍝🍰 I made a riff on AR’s shallot pasta by adding swiss chard stems. For dessert, Carrot Chamomile Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting! I had so much fun making this one. 💚👩🏻🌾 As always, sign up for my newsletter to get weekly roundups of recipes straight to your inbox. 📧 #garden #gardentok #recipes #dessert #pasta ♬ original sound – Carmen in the Garden
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How To Make This Recipe:
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Carrot Chamomile Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
Ingredients for the cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated carrots (about 4 medium carrots)
Ingredients for the frosting:
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small cubes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients for decoration:
- Fresh or dried chamomile flowers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease two 9-inch cake pans with butter or cooking spray and/or line with wax paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined.
- Fold in the grated carrots until evenly distributed.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool completely in the pans before removing them.
- For the frosting, in a heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Whisk the egg whites and sugar constantly until the mixture reaches 160°F (70°C) and the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and beat the egg white mixture with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 5-7 minutes.
- Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the butter, one cube at a time, until it’s all incorporated.
- Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat for an additional minute.
- Once the cakes are cooled, assemble the two-layer cake with frosting in between the layers and on top.
- Decorate the cake with fresh or dried chamomile flowers on top.
