Is carrot cake an Easter thing? Hmm… Based on the number of chocolate bunnies and candy carrots in grocery stores, it seems to be true. If so then this recipe is just in time, if no — whatever, it’s still a cool dessert to make!
When I look at this cake, one word comes to my mind in a flash. And this word is BRUNCH. I close my eyes and see a large round table. The bright and airy room. I hear quite music and loud laughings. Clinking of glasses and lovely talks. I come closer and feel the smell of freshly made dishes and friendly atmosphere.
Sunny side up eggs. Orange juice. Carrot cake. “And it’s another day of sun!”
This dessert is a modern take on a timeless tradition. A layer of bold incredibly moist carrot cake, a layer of tender insanely creamy chocolate mousse and a streak of refreshing orange gelee to unite these two worlds.
Warning: “eat in moderation” rule may be hard to apply here.
*makes one 20*20cm square pan (approx. 12 bars)
For the carrot cake:
200 g carrot, shredded
30 g lemon juice
65 g all-purpose flour
50 g whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large egg
70 g sunflower oil
100 g running honey
zest of 1/2 orange
Preheat the oven to 175 C/350 F. Grease the pan with butter.
In a bowl of stand mixer combine all dry ingredients and give them a good stir using paddle attachment.
In a separate bowl combine shredded carrot, lemon juice, orange zest, an egg, vegetable oil and honey, lightly whisk them together. Add this mixture to the mixer bowl and mix everything on a low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and stir the mixture for additional 30 seconds.
Pour the batter into prepared pan and place the pan into the oven. Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes or until the toothpick inserted into its center comes out dry and clean. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let it completely cool down, for about 1-2 hours.
For the orange gelee:
approx. 4 oranges
30 g sugar
5 g gelatine
30 g water
In a small bowl soak gelatine in a cold water, let it sit for 15 minutes.
Prepare orange wedges. Working with one fruit at a time, remove the ends of the fruit and discard them. Stand the orange upright on one of the cut sides. Cut away the peel from the top all the way down to the bottom making sure you remove all the white pith. Using the same technique remove peel all the way around the fruit. Once the orange is completely peeled, cut it into sections making slices between membranes that separate orange sections. When all slices are cut off, juice the rest of the fruit into a bowl. Continue with the rest of the oranges.
Put 210 g orange slices, 40 g orange juice and sugar into the pan and place it over medium heat. Cook stirring occasionally until the mixture is about to boil, break down orange slices into small pieces using a spatula. Remove the pan from the heat.
Microwave gelatine for a couple of secs, just so it liquifies, and add it to oranges. Stir well until gelatine fully dissolves and then pour orange gelee into the pan, on top of a carrot layer. Place the pan into the fridge for about an hour.
For white chocolate mousse:
110 g milk
20 g sugar
45 g egg yolks
5 g gelatine
30 g water
100 g white chocolate
150 g heavy cream
Chop white chocolate and place it in a bowl. Soak gelatine in a cold water, let it sit for 15 minutes.
In a separate bowl combine egg yolks and sugar, whisk well until sugar is almost dissolved. Place milk into a small pot and place it over medium heat. When milk is about to boil, remove the pot from the heat and pour the milk into the eggs mixture stirring constantly. Return the pot to the heat and cook the mixture whisking constantly until it reaches 81 C/177 F.
Pour the cream on top of chopped chocolate. Microwave gelatine for a couple of secs, just so it liquifies, and add it to the rest of the ingredients. Whisk well until gelatine and chocolate are fully melted. Cover the mixture with a plastic wrap and let it cool down to room temperature.
Whip heavy cream until it holds soft peaks. Using a rubber spatula add whipped cream to the chilled cream and gently stir everything together. Remove the pan from the fridge, then pour chocolate mixture into the pan, on top of an orange gelee. Using a small offset spatula level off the chocolate mouse and place the pan into the fridge. Let the cake chill in the fridge overnight.
For the decoration:
100 g heavy cream
30 g powdered sugar
Whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar until it holds firm peaks. Place the cream into a plastic bag fitted with a tip (I used Saint Honore).
Carefully remove the cake from the pan and using a sharp knife cut it into thin long rectangles, approx. 3*9 cm. Pipe whipped cream on top of each piece in a decorative pattern. Serve cold.
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