There’s nothing that I don’t like about this cake, so I can easily say “hello autumn” with enthusiasm. Super moist, lightly spiced, textured with coconut and smothered with a dreamy cream cheese frosting. Super Moist Carrot Cake is a winner every time, feeds a small crowd and freezes exceptionally well.
Did I mention it’s also quick and easy with minimal mess, other than shredded carrot that seems to get everywhere LOL! It’s the perfect fall cake that turns the humble carrot into the most delicious dessert. It’s a nostalgic recipe for me, being slightly adapted from a gifted cookbook when I was only 17 years old and graduating from high school. It’s a treasured book, missing its cover, yellowed and ratty. But every time I thumb through it, I’m taken back to a simpler time, high school friends and big dreams. Thank you Simone and Marlene for this simple yet wonderful book that I still love 31 years later. Proving that great recipes are timeless.
Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9"x13" pan with non-stick spray.
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together oil and sugar. Add eggs one at a time whisking well to fully combine after each. Stir in orange juice and vanilla.
Whisk in half of the dry ingredients followed by half the milk. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and milk, whisking only until just combined. Stir in carrots, pineapple and coconut. Pour into prepared pan and bake on the middle rack for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature. Once cooled, spread evenly with cream cheese icing. Cut into 20-24 pieces and serve.
Cream Cheese Icing
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add butter and beat until fully combined and fluffy. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until just combined and smooth. Spread onto cooled cake.
Recipe Notes
-Cake freezes well without icing for up to a month if well wrapped.
-Cake freezes well if iced and cut into squares, stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
-Recipe makes for a thick layer of icing. Icing freezes well on its own in an airtight container for up to a month.
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Think carrot cake, only better! Parsnip Spice Cake is moist, nicely spiced and delicious with cream cheese icing.
Parsnips add an unexpected twist to this delicious cake, and while most people don’t think of adding parsnips to baked goods, it’s just like adding grated carrots. The parsnips have a naturally sweet nuttiness that comes out when they’re cooked. This flavour is also enhanced when combined with a little sugar and plenty of spice. It’s quite lovely!
I’ve gone and made the recipe into a 3 tier cake for presentation purposes, but the recipe can be simplified by making as one 9×13 cake. I’ve included preparation and baking methods for both. However you choose to make it, you won’t be disappointed.
Tips for great cake layers:
– weigh or measure the batter into each pan for uniform baking. – line pans with a parchment circle so the cake comes out easily. – don’t over bake. – allow the cake to cool completely in the pan prior to removing. – brush the layers with simple syrup to help keep the cake moist. – if baking and using at a later date, wrap each layer individually and freeze for up to one month.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare cake pans as per option 1 or option 2 below.
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, spices and salt.
In a large bowl whisk together eggs, oil, milk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Stir in parsnips.
Option 1: Line the bottoms of 3 - 8" round cake pans with parchment and spray sides with non-stick spray. Divide batter evenly into each pan and spread out with a spatula (about 13 ounces per pan). Bake on centre rack for 17-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Remove cake from pans and peel off parchment. Brush each layer with the simple syrup. Arrange one layer on a serving plate and spread with approximately 1/4 of icing. Top with another layer and repeat with icing and top with the remaining cake layer. Ice the top, reserving a small amount of icing to fill in the layer sides. Run a bench scraper or long straight edge spatula around the outside of the cake to smear and flatten the icing into a "naked cake" look. Dust the top with cinnamon and cut into desired wedges.
Option 2: Spray a 9"x13" pan with non-stick spray. Pour batter into the pan and spread out evenly with a spatula. Bake on centre rack for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Brush with simple syrup and spread evenly with frosting. Cut into desired squares and serve.
Simple Syrup
Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil stirring until sugar is dissolved. Once at a boil, allow syrup to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in brandy. Allow to cool completely before brushing on the cake.
Cream Cheese Icing
Beat butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, spices and vanilla. Beat until just combined. Frost cake as desired.
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I may receive compensation for purchases made through this site, at no cost to the purchaser. Compelled to Cook is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
This Frozen Yogurt Strawberry Cake is a cool and creamy show stopper with lovely strawberry flavour. The pretzel crust adds a nice crunch and a hint of salty goodness. I love to serve it with extra macerated strawberries for even more wonderful flavour. It’s absolutely perfect for summer.
Fresh strawberries are deepened in flavour by roasting them to purge any excess moisture. They’re then pureed with sugar and will provide the fantastic strawberry taste. Cream cheese and vanilla yogurt are whipped up light and creamy and combined with the pureed strawberries. Heavy cream is whipped to stiff peaks and folded into the cream cheese mixture. The batter is then poured and spread onto the cooled crust and then allowed to freeze for at least 6 hours.
It’s important to note that the quicker the cake freezes, the smaller the ice crystals will be. The smaller the ice crystals, the smoother the texture. Be sure to keep all elements cold until ready to mix and freeze immediately in a draft-free freezer. In other words, don’t be opening and closing your freezer door while the cake sets….if possible.
It’s a tall 10” cake that will feed plenty. Be sure to let the cake sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes to allow it to soften slightly for slicing. It’s a solid cake that takes some time to thaw into a melty mess, so there’s no need to panic if you don’t get to slicing it for another 10 minutes. In other words, you have some wiggle room. Enjoy!
Using a food processor, blend pretzels and sugar until you have a fine crumb. Add melted butter and pulse until combined.
Press crumbs evenly into a 10" springform pan. Bake for 6 minutes, remove and allow to cool to room temperature while preparing the filling.
Cake filling
Increase oven to 400°F.
Hull strawberries and cut in quarters. Lay in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Flip strawberries and continue to roast for 20 minutes. Strawberries will be soft and jammy. Allow them to cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Beat in yogurt, 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and vanilla. Keep chilled until ready to proceed.
Whip heavy cream and the remaining 1/4 cup of powdered sugar until stiff. Keep chilled until ready to proceed.
Once strawberries have cooled, combine with the granulated sugar in a food processor or blender and blend until pureed and combined.
Stir strawberry mixture into the cream cheese/yogurt mixture until completed combined. Fold in whipped cream and pour over cooled pretzel crust. Smooth out top and place in freezer for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
When ready to serve, remove from freezer and remove outer springform ring at least 20 minutes prior to serving. Cut into wedges and serve garnished with additional whipped cream and fresh macerated strawberries if desired.
Recipe Notes
-strawberries can be roasted and chilled one day ahead.
-frozen cake well covered will keep for up to a month in the freezer.
I may receive compensation for purchases made through this site, at no cost to the purchaser. Compelled to Cook is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
This simple and delicious Apple Date Cake with Pecan Streusel rises up tender and moist with little chunks of apple scattered throughout. It’s spiced just right with a wonderfully crunchy, pecan topping.
What sets this cake apart is the amount of refined sugar and fat. There’s only a 1/2 cup of sugar for the 9”x 13” cake. The pecan topping has 3 tbsp, making the total amount just under 3/4 cup for a large 9”x 13” cake that comes out 2” tall. It’s made with dates and applesauce for natural sweetness and added moisture, allowing the use of less oil.In this case only 1/4 cup in the cake. The bits of apple also add moisture and are evenly distributed by lightly dusting them with flour before adding to the batter. A great cake on its own, but serving it with slightly warm Spiced Rum Caramel really makes it special.
This lovely cake freezes well and will keep up to a month well wrapped.Simply thaw and cut when ready.Did I mention the Spiced Rum Caramel?Oh so good and simple to make too!
In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients and set aside.
Apple Date Cake
In a medium sauce pan combine dates and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occationally until dates are very soft and pasty, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spiced rum. Allow to cool slightly before adding to recipe.
Preheat oven to 350℉ and lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan with non-stick spray or butter. Line the pan with parchment, overhanging on two sides (this allows you to lift the cake out of the pan).
While dates are cooling, whisk together the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a seperate small bowl toss together chopped apple and 1 tbsp of flour. Set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together sugar and oil. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating after each. Add dates, applesauce and buttermilk whisking to fully combine.
Whisk in dry ingredients until combined. Add diced apples, shaking off any excess flour as you add them. Stir to evenly distribute.
Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with pecan streusel. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely prior to lifting out of the pan and cutting into desired portions. Serving with Spiced Rum Caramel is highly recommended.
Where does the time go?It seems like yesterday that I ventured into the world of food blogging, yet April 24, 2018 marks two years of being “Compelled To Cook”.To celebrate, I’ve whipped up a super easy and rather delicious Raspberry Swirl Cake.It’s topped with mascarpone whipped cream and so lovely served with fresh raspberries and a drizzle of the extra raspberry sauce.
Only after two years do I feel like I’m just starting to get the hang of this hobby of food blogging. By that I’m referring to the basics of food photography, writing and posting. I’ve yet to delve into video, monetizing, pod casts etc.There’s still so much to learn and do, but I couldn’t be more excited about it. It’s been a great journey so far and I’m excited for what the next couple of years will bring when I can hone my current skills and learn new ones.In the meantime, I hope you join me in enjoying this beautiful Raspberry Swirl Cake in celebration of my blog’s 2nd birthday.Happy Birthday to me!!
Combine raspberries and sugar in a small sauce pan and heat on medium until berries have cooked down and mixture is bubbling, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Whisk together water and cornstarch. Add to berries, stirring until combined and mixture returns to a boil. Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing on solids to extract as much sauce as possible. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. Yields approximately 3/4 cup.
Cake
Preheat oven to 350℉ and position rack in centre of oven. Prepare a 9" x 2" or 9" x 3" cake pan by spraying with non stick spray and lining bottom with parchment paper.
In a small bowl stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Beat sugar and oil together using a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment or an electric hand mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking after each. Beat until light, about 1 minute. Add milk, vanilla and flour mixture. Whisk on medium/high until smooth, scraping bowl once, about 1 minute. With mixer running on low, slowly add water. Increase speed and mix until water is incorporated, scraping the bowl once.
Pour half the batter into prepared pan and drizzle with 3 tbsp of raspberry sauce. Pour on remaining batter and repeat with another 3 tbsp of raspberry sauce. Using a small knife pushed to the bottom of the pan, make several figure 8's in the batter to swirl the raspberry sauce. Do not swirl or stir in excess as it will muddle the batter. You will have some raspberry sauce remaining on the top of the cake.
Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove to cooling rack and allow to cool completely prior to removing from pan. When cool, invert cake and remove parchment paper, turn back upright and top with mascarpone whipped cream. Serve with extra raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries.
Mascarpone Whipped Cream
Using a stand mixer fitted with a whip or electric hand held mixer, whip cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Add mascarpone and vanilla and continue to whip on high until combined and stiff peaks form.
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