Kerry carrot cake

The Irish love vegetables, and know how to combine them in every possible and unimaginable dish… even cakes! The proof is in the Irish carrot cake, where the salty, slightly sweet taste of the carrot is an ideal ingredient for creating a surprise! The Kerry Irish have understood this, and know how to make a tasty and original cake! A delicious pastry, to be enjoyed at tea time, in delightful company!

Carrot cake, a gourmet speciality that will make you want to eat vegetables!

Kerry carrot cake – balise42 – cc

Forget chocolate, almond powder and all the other classic pastry ingredients!

Kerry carrot cake uses simple carrots, which, when cooked according to a few ancestral traditions, result in a tasty pastry!

Traditionally, carrot cake calls for a variety of ingredients, including carrots, pineapple and walnuts. A daring blend that perfectly structures the cake’s flavours, offering a light combination of acidity and the sweet roundness of the carrot, for an incomparable mellowness.

The Irish generally bake this cake in winter, especially in the Kerry region. Rich, it goes wonderfully well with Irish tea, whether for breakfast or a snack, with a few scones on the side!

You’ll find this type of cake in tea rooms, but also in local pastry shops and bakeries. As for the rest, carrot cake is mainly made in Irish homes… and in that case, watch out for the recipes! Each Kerry family has its own recipe, with its own secret ingredients, know-how and cooking methods!

Recipe: Kerry Carrot Cake

Ingredients

200g grated carrots
200g flour
200g sugar
100g grated pineapple
100g chopped walnuts (or hazelnuts)
120ml sunflower oil
4 eggs
2 c. teaspoon baking powder
2 c. teaspoon cinnamon
1 c. coffee and a half baking soda
1 c. teaspoon salt
1 c. teaspoon vanilla sugar

Icing :

One organic lemon
100g cottage cheese
100g powdered sugar

Preparation

Pour the flour, walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.
Stir until smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, vanilla sugar, eggs and carrots, then add the mixture to the first bowl.
While stirring, add the oil and pineapple.
Stir it all together. You should now have a paste-like mixture.
Butter a cake tin and pour in the mixture.
Bake at 140°C for approximately 1h20. Don’t hesitate to check for doneness by sticking a knife into it. If the cake is dry, it’s done!
Now for the icing: mix the lemon juice, fromage blanc and powdered sugar in a bowl.
Mix everything together to obtain a smooth paste, which you can then spread over the cake.
Set aside in the fridge and enjoy with a cup of tea! Enjoy your meal!