Not Your Grandma's Carrot Cake. 3 Spice Carrot Cake Indian Style From Asha Gomez

    
   Ah, Carrot Cake! That spicy cinnamony heavy cake loaded with dense cream cheese frosting, carrot cake could often back in the day be mistaken for a door stop,. for some reason I always seem to associate it with the '70s and not in a good way, and so around here carrot cake has always been as dead as disco. Well, news flash. There's a new carrot cake in town and it's nothing like the old one thanks to Atlanta Ga master chef  Asha Gomez  @ashagomez

   Asha Gomez is the owner of Spice to Table in Atlanta. In 2013 her restaurant Cardamom hill won the James Beard Award Nomination for Best New Restaurant, and once you try her carrot cake you'll understand why. The recipe for this cake originated from her mother in Kerala, South India and the flavors and spices called for here take one out of every 1970's hippie-dippy diner party and into the present where this version of the old favorite rules!

    I've been baking this cake a LOT, it's that popular, and I have baked both a regular version and also a gluten free version using the flour blend I developed when I was working with Cocoa Planet Modern French Cafe developing their gluten free menu. This cake is a winner, made for birthday parties  (it easily feeds 16 people) or any sort of family celebration. I have a feeling - actually I've been ordered - that this is going to be on our holiday table this coming season.  I LOVE this cake!! So without further ado  here's Asha Gomezs Three Spice Carrot Cake.

Three Spice Carrot Cake

 

Here's What You Need:

 

The Cake:

2 Tbs unsalted butter for greasing cake pans
3 and 1/2 cups of all purpose flour plus  some extra for dusting the pans
1 Tbs baking powder
1 1/2 tsps baking soda
1 Tbs coarse freshly ground black peppercorns
2 tsps ground cloves
2 Tbs  green cardamom powder
2 cups of white sugar
9 large eggs
1 and 3/4 cups canola oil 6 carrots peeled and grated ( 3 cups)

The Frosting:

1 and 1/2 lbs cream cheese at room temperature
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups of sifted powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
1 Tbs fresh ground black peppercorns
1 Tbs green cardamom powder
1 tsp ground cloves
      

Here's What To Do:

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Grease two 10 inch round cake  pans.

Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper and grease the paper and sides of the pans.

Dust the sides and the paper bottom with flour. Tap out any excess.

 Grate carrots in a food processor and set them aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda together in a bowl.

Then mix in  the ground black pepper...

...cardamom...

...and cloves.

 Set this aside.
In an electric mixer set on medium speed, whisk together  the eggs and sugar until they are light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Keeping the mixer running, add the oil slowly to maintain the emulsion.

When the oil has been added, put the dry ingredients in (the flour mixture).

Mix on medium speed for another 3 minutes until it's all blended.

Now add the carrots and mix for another 2 minutes.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans.

Divide the batter evenly and tap the pans to release any air bubbles.
Bake for 45 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in their pans on a cooling rack for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the cakes to loosen them and turn them out onto the racks to cool completely.
   
Meanwhile.....

Time to make the frosting.

Here's What To Do:

 

In an electric mixer using a paddle, beat the cream cheese and butter at medium speed until creamy -  about 3 to 5 minutes.

Gradually add in the confectioners sugar, black peppercorns, cardamom, and cloves while beating at low speed for 3 to 4 minutes.
Using a serrated knife trim off the rounded tops of the cakes.

Place one trimmed cake cut side up on a platter.
spread  1 and 1/2 cups of frosting over the cake.
Top with the second half of the cake cut side down.
Spread another 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting over the top and sides.

Complete the cake frosting.

Refrigerate before serving.

  The cake is deliciously moist, and the spices are quite different from what most carrot cakes contain. No cinnamon or nutmeg. Don't be afraid of the black pepper as it makes this cake!!! The cake can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for about a week and as long as it's covered it stays moist. However don't count on keeping this one around very long. The last time I made it, everyone had two pieces which is absolutely unheard of around here!!

Coming up next, an easy weekday lunch or dinner, eggplant, scallops, and shrimp  with coconut rice.

Follow along on Twitter @kathygori