萝卜蛋糕在我家是非常收欢迎的一个蛋糕，其实不但只是我家，我相信这也是一个极之收到西方人爱戴的蛋糕之一。这里几乎每家café都可以吃到萝卜蛋糕，它的收欢迎程度就像戚风蛋糕在我们的社会里是深收爱戴的。那天看到Sherleen和Angie都陆续上了这个蛋糕，我忽然也想吃萝卜蛋糕了。
据说，萝卜蛋糕源起于20世纪时代。当时糖的价格昂贵所以含高糖份的蔬果都用于蛋糕里取代了价格昂贵的糖。至到世界第二次大战时期，英格兰民族都鼓励用自己生产的菜农来制造各种食品。于是萝卜蛋糕就在那个时期盛行起来。
这个食谱是来自Master Chef Magazine很早期（第三期）的杂志里。 买了这本杂志后，就动手做了Geroge Calombaris（Master Chef的评判之一）的萝卜蛋糕。我个人很喜欢他的这个食谱，也先后翻做了几次。原来我的2010年的这个萝卜蛋糕作品有拍到照片留念，那么顺便就在这里和大家分享一下。当时的装饰是模仿Geroge的，但是这次的却换了一 下 pattern 用了不一样的呈现方式。虽说萝卜蛋糕是下午茶蛋糕或café式的蛋糕，但是也不难发现它也悄悄的挤身到了fine dining的dessert menu里去了（从穷人蛋糕变branded了～蛋糕里的灰姑娘）。如果吃腻了超软型的蛋糕，来一个比较扎实，嫩湿，微带香料，有果仁口感的蛋糕搭上芝士淇淋也是另一种享受。
Ingredients:
150ml extra virgin
olive oil
150ml grape seed
oil
1tsp vanilla
extract
4 eggs
330g dark brown
sugar (I used 250g)
3 carrots peeled,
and coarsely grated
100g sultanas (I
used dried cherries)
75g walnuts,
coarsely chopped
50g pecan,
coarsely chopped
50g pistachios,
coarsely chopped
300g plain flour
2 tsp baking
powder
1 tsp bicarbonate
of soda
2 tsp ground
cinnamon, plus extra to dust
3/4tsp ground
cumin
½ tsp ground clove
110g apricot jam (
I used 50g only)
Cream Cheese Icing
100g unsalted butter,
softened
100g cream cheese,
chopped and softened
90g icing sugar,
sifted
1 lemon (zested
plus 1/2tsp juice)
Decorate:
10 baby carrots
70g sugar
50g butter
¼ tsp salt
Method:
1. Preheat oven to
180C. Grease a deep 23cm round cake pan, then line the base and side with
baking paper.
2. Using an
electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick
and pale. Reduce speed to low and with the motor running, add the oil mixture
in a thin, steady stream until emulsified.
3. Add carrots, dried
cherries, walnuts, pecan and pistachios, but don’t fold in yet. Sift over
flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ¼ tsp salt and spices, then using a
large spoon, fold in until just combine.
4. Spoon batter
into prepared tin and bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 45 minutes.
Cover with baking paper to prevent over browning and bake for further 20minutes
or until skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Transfer
to a wire rack, cool completely in the pan. Then turn out onto a plate.
5. Meanwhile, to
make the cream cheese icing, use an electric mixer, beat butter on high speed
until pale and fluffy. Add cream cheese piece-by-piece and beat until pale and
fluffy. Reduce speed to low, then
gradually beat in icing sugar. ( I add in the icing sugar slowly so that I can
taste the sweetness. Stop adding further when preferred sweetness has
achieved.) Add lemon zest and juice. Stir to combine.
6. To make apricot
glaze, place jam and 2 tbs water in a sauce pan over low heat and simmer. Stirring
until syrupy (2-4 minutes). Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze over the top
and side of the cake. Cool for 5 minutes.
7. To make the
glazed carrot, trim the green carrot stalks to 2.5cm in length. Place the
carrot in a saucepan and just cover with cold water. Add the salt sugar and
butter bring to boil, and boil quickly for 6-8 minutes. The carrot will cook as
the water evaporates, and glaze is formed in the bottom of the pan. Coat with
the glaze. Remove from the pan and leave to cool.
8. Using a spatula
spread the icing over the top of the cake. Decorate with glaze baby carrot and
sprinkle with some cinnamon powder.
Cake recipe adapted from : Master Chef Magazine Issue
3, 2010. Pg,110
Decoration recipe adapted from : James Martin
–Desserts, pg 151
这个是2010年的杰作，当时没有部落只是“爽爽”拍一下留念。竟然照片还有保留下来。
