Carrot Snacking Cake with Strippaggio Blood Orange Extra Virgin Olive Oil
I was thrilled when Strippaggio Artisan Olive Oils and Vinegars asked me to create a few recipes using their Olive Oils and Vinegars. I wanted to use their Blood Orange Extra Virgin Olive OIl in a cake and I immediatly thought carrot cake. The orange flavor pairs beautufully with the carrots and pecans. I created a deliciously moist single layer carrot snacking cake loaded with carrots and toasted pecans.
Not only is it delicious, but it’s also supper simple to put together. The cake can be made using just a whisk and a spatula and the frosting can be made with a hand mixer. No heavy machinery required.
Strippaggio Blood Orange Olive Oil
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 Teaspoon of Freshly Grated Orange Zest
- 100 grams of Granulated Sugar ½ Cup
- 100 grams of Light Brown Sugar ½ Cup
- 2 Large Whole Eggs
- 120 ml of Strippaggio Blood Orange Extra Virgin Olive Oil ½ Cup
- 60 ml of Buttermilk ¼ Cup
- 113 grams of Finely Grated Carrot 4 Ounces or 1 ¼ Cups
- 60 grams of Chopped Toasted Pecans 2 Ounces or ½ Cup
- 150 grams of All-Purpose Flour 1 ¼ Cups
- ¾ Teaspoon of Baking Powder
- ½ Teaspoon of Baking Soda
- ½ Teaspoon of Kosher Salt
- 2 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ Teaspoon of Ground Ginger
- ⅛ Teaspoon of Ground Cloves
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 85 grams of Block Cream Cheese 3 Ounces
- 85 grams of Unsalted Butter 3 Ounces
- 180 grams of Powdered Sugar 1 ½ Cups
- 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
- ¼ Teaspoon of Kosher Salt
- 2-3 Tablespoons of Chopped Toasted Pecans
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Butter the bottom and sides of an 8” round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- To a large bowl combine the sugars and the orange zest and massage together with your fingertips.
- Next add eggs and beat vigorously until the mixture lightens in color, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the olive oil and the buttermilk and whisk until smooth and ingredients are well combined.
- Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the carrots and pecans until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold in with a rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are just combined with the wet ingredients.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 40-43 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed.
- Revove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool for about 10-15 minutes.
- Invert the cake on a plate. Place a wire rack on the bottom of the cake and invert again. Allow the cake to cool completely on the wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Remove the cream cheese and the butter from the fridge and let sit out for about 20 minutes to soften.
- Place the cream cheese and the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a sepertae bowl if using a hand mixer, and beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and combined,
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and beat on medium speed until the frosting is smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Place the cake on a serving place. Frost the top and sprinke with the chopped toasted pecans.
