Carrot Orange Bundt Cake with Candied Carrot Curls

I became fond of Carrot Cake while I lived in London. Ever since the first time I made it at home, it was a hit on a variety of parties including children’s birthday parties. It was adorn even by children who didn’t liked cakes at all. Only after several years of continuous making of carrot cake I cooled down a bit from it and last time, after a long time, I prepared it for the last New Year's Eve.

Somehow, the decision was made that for Christmas I will make Carrot Cake in a mold for Bundt Cake. I decorate it with candied carrots curls, recipe from Gourmet Magazine, December 2007. I have always used cheese icing on Carrot Cake so this was the first time I used plain sugar icing because I thought that it emphasizes the beautiful shape of Bundt Cake better. It was also more suitable base for these pretty carrot decorations. Instead of walnuts, I used almonds, substituted part of flour with whole wheat flour and I have also added a bit of orange zest and ginger.

Recipe


Ingredients:


6 cups of grated carrots
2 cups of brown sugar
1 cup of raisins, very finely chopped
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup of vegetable oil (olive, coconut or sunflower)
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
1 cup peeled, minced oranges (about 1 large or 2 small oranges)
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 cups whole meal flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (or ½ teaspoon ginger powder)
1teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 cup of finely ground almonds


For the icing:


1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons orange juice


Candied carrot curls garnishes:


1 large carrot (or 2 smaller), try using a thick carrot
1 cup of water
1 cup of brown sugar


Grate carrots in the processor, then pure peeled and deseeded orange. Combine carrots with half of the sugar in a bowl. Set aside for an hour. Then stir in raisins, minced orange and spices.


Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat the Bundt cake mold with oil and sprinkle with flour.


In a large bowl, mix eggs with electric mixer, until they become pale and foamy. Add the remaining sugar, oil and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and add to the liquid ingredients, then mix everything together with the carrots. Do not over mix. Finally stir in almonds. Pour the batter into the mold and bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes in the mold, then turn on a serving plate.


To prepare the icing, combine sugar with orange juice just until you get very smooth paste. Pour the icing over the cake and decorate with candied carrot garnishes.


To prepare carrot garnishes peel layers from carrot lengthwise on one side with peeler until you begin to get wide slices. Peel wide strips, reserving them, until you get about 15 (there will be a few extra).
Bring water and sugar to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add wide carrot strips and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. Strain through a sieve into a bowl, discarding syrup. Let stand 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 225°F with rack in middle.
Line a large baking sheet with nonstick liner, then arrange candied carrot slices flat in 1 layer on sheet. Bake until dry but still flexible, about 30 minutes. (Leave oven on.) Wind carrot strips, 1 at a time, around end of handle of a wooden spoon in a loose spiral, then slip off each curl and return, seam sides down, to lined baking sheet.
Return curls to oven to dry until crisp, 30 to 45 minutes more. Cool completely on baking sheet.
Carrot curls can be made 5 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature. Recrisp in a 250°F oven 10 minutes.