Initiation Into a Family Tradition
Our family is a big one. Although we don’t stay under one roof we stay connected all year round. We live, we laugh, we cherish and even we slander together. The roots of our family have spread near and far. Ours is a cosmopolitan family. While my in-laws stay in India, we live in America and my husband’s brother stays in Germany. In spite of the different time zones, different work schedules we have succeeded in bonding with each other in such a way that reminds us of the joint families of India from the bygone era.
My mother-in-law is a master baker. There was no single birthday of her children where she had not baked a cake for them. The same tradition continues. My sister-in-law is also a very good baker. Her bakes and cakes are famous in the circle of our family and friends. Our men go gaga on their womenfolk for their exceptional culinary skills. Now it is only me who is a novice in this field. It is not that I have not tried my hands in baking but in terms of expertise, I lag miles behind.
Now no more lagging behind. I gear up my determination and here I come. In this New Year, I have thought of surprising my family with my endeavor, a simple coconut carrot cake. Here also I took help from my sister-in-law. Carrot cake is one of her hit recipes which I have borrowed. I have also made certain changes at places according to my requirements and here it comes, Coconut Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Why This Nutty Coconut Carrot Cake Different
- To begin with, this cake is full of nutritional value.
- It has the goodness of nuts.
- This cake definitely tastes better than an ordinary cake.
- The addition of coconut gives it a more savory and juicy taste.
- Children who don’t like to eat raw carrots will definitely love this cake.
- This cake doesn’t have any egg smell that is common in sponge cakes.
Cooking Time
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Ready in: 1 hour
Yields: Serves 8 people
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Eggs
- 3/4th cup White Oil
- 2 cups sugar, powdered
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Walnut, Raisins, and Almond Mixture, chopped
- 1 cup Carrot, grated
- 1 cup Coconut, grated
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1 cup Cream Cheese Frosting
Procedure
- With an electric blender first beat the eggs, sugar, and oil thoroughly.
- In another vessel mix well all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon powder.
- In that same vessel pour in the egg-sugar-oil solution as you continue to blend all of these ingredients.
- Add milk as per requirement. Do keep in mind that the consistency of the cake mix should be medium. It should neither be too thick nor too watery.
- In a separate container mix well the grated carrots and coconut and add them to the cake mix.
- Add the chopped nuts into the cake mix.
- Lastly, add vanilla extract into the cake mix and mix all the above ingredients well.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In the meantime grease a 9 inch round baking pan with oil and flour and pour in the cake mix. When the oven is ready place the pan inside the oven and bakes it for 40 mins.
- Once the time is over, bring out the cake. Insert a toothpick in the center to see whether the cake is thoroughly baked or not.
- Once baked keep it on the cooling rack for 15 mins to cool down. Once cold, transfer the cake carefully to a plate.
- Decorate it with Cream Cheese Frosting and you can garnish it with grated carrots and sun-dried raisins. Now your Nutty Coconut Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is ready to be devoured.
The Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
I have personally bought a Cream Cheese Frosting from the departmental store and used it to save a little bit of time and energy. For those who want to prepare Cream Cheese Frosting at home here is the recipe:
- In a bowl beat 2 ounces of cream cheese and 2 ounces of unsalted butter well with an electric blender.
- While beating the mixture continuously, pour 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract into the mixture.
- Beat the entire mixture for about 15 mins. Refrigerate it. Your own Cream Cheese Frosting is ready.
Storing the Cake
- Never refrigerate the cake for long. The cake can get hard.
- Once the cake is completely cooled, store it in a cake tin at room temperature. This will help the cake retain the desired moisture.
- In this way, you can easily store the cake for 2-3 days. If you want to store it for more days then refrigerate it.
Useful Tips
- I used grated carrots that are available at the departmental store. Before using it in the cake recipe grate it once more in a mixer to bring out the juice. Don’t over-grate it.
- For additional taste, you can also use 1 teaspoon of nutmeg powder in the cake mix. This will give the cake a spicy flavor.