Double Chai Carrot Cake
 
 
A moist carrot cake infused with a hint of chai and covered with a cream cheese chai icing.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: One 3-layer cake
Ingredients
  • Chai mix:
  • 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 3 Tbsp fennel seeds
  • 1 Tbsp ground green cardamom (~ 16 pods, husks removed and seeds ground)
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • .
  • Cake:
  • 2½ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp chai mix (recipe above)
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • .
  • Frosting:
  • 2 (250g) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 3 cups icing sugar
  • 4 Tbsp chai mix (recipe above)
  • .
  • 2 cups shredded, sweetened coconut
  • 8-12 marzipan carrots (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Using a large plate (or bowl) trace out three 9-inch circles on parchment paper. Cut them out (they will be used to line the bottom of the cake pans). Lightly grease three cake pans, place the parchment circles on the bottom of the pans, and then lightly grease the top of the parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Make chai mix: combine all chai mix ingredients; set aside. If you're not a fan of whole fennel seeds, grind them up using a spice grinder, a clean coffee grinder, or a mortar and pestle.
  3. Make cake: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chai mix; set aside.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined. Add flour mixture in three parts, stirring well after each addition. Add carrots, stirring by hand until just combined.
  5. Spread batter evenly into prepared baking pans, flattening tops with a rubber spatula. The batter will be very thick, but don't worry! It will rise and fluff up while baking. Bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
  6. Once cakes are cool, use a serrated knife to even out the tops or the cakes, if necessary. You want a relatively flat cake (for easier stacking).
  7. Make frosting: beat together all frosting ingredients until smooth and spreadable.
  8. Toast coconut: Heat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut on a baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes until coconut is browned and toasted, stirring often to avoid burning.
  9. Assemble cake: Spread an even layer of the frosting on the top of one of the cake layers. Stack another cake layer on top and frost the top, then place the final cake layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle toasted coconut along the sides of the cake. Top with marzipan carrots, if desired.
Recipe by Port and Fin at https://portandfin.com/double-chai-carrot-cake-with-toasted-coconut/