
- Yield: 2 1/4 sheet pans @900 gms. each
Swiss Carrot Cake
Recipe courtesy of Benjamin Copeland, Pastry Chef, The Chattooga Club (Cashiers, N.C.)
Ingredients
- brown butter - 290 gms., melted
- egg yolks - 40 gms (2 ea.)
- whole eggs - 150 gms. (3 ea)
- carrot juice - 350 gms.
- vanilla extract - 10 gms.
- light brown sugar - 440 gms.
- kosher salt - 6 gms.
- cake flour - 340 gms.
- fine mesh almond flour - 150 gms.
- baking soda - 8 gms.
- baking powder - 5 gms.
- cinnamon - 5 gms.
- nutmeg - 3 gms.
- ginger - 3 gms.
- Ingredients for the Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- gelatin - 6 gms., silver
- heavy cream - 450 gms.
- vanilla paste - 2 gms.
- sugar - 100 gms.
- mascarpone - 350 gms.
- Ingredients for the Candied Almonds
- egg whites - 30 gms. (1 ea)
- water - 15 gms.
- brown sugar - 70 gms.
- sugar - 130 gms.
- kosher salt - 5 gms.
- cinnamon - 4 gms.
- almond pieces - 420 gms.
- Ingredients for the Golden Raisin Sauce
- orange juice - 230 gms.
- sugar - 60 gms.
- golden raisins - 120 gms.
- Ingredients for the Carrot Gel
- carrots - 250 gms., medium diced
- carrot juice - 350 gms.
- sugar - 100 gms.
- agar - 5.5 gms.
- xanthan - 1.5 gms.
Instructions
- Warm together the brown butter and carrot juice. Ensure eggs and yolks are room temperature to prevent the butter from solidifying when mixed with other ingredients. Whisk together.
- Sift together dry ingredients. Mix wet into dry in 3 stages. Mix together until smooth. Portion into pans. Bake 350° F until done. Cool.
Procedure for the Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- Bloom gelatin in cold water until softened. Squeeze out excess water. Set aside until needed.
- Bring cream, vanilla and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and add bloomed gelatin. Stir till gelatin has dissolved.
- Add cream and mascarpone to above. Process with an immersion blender until smooth. Strain. Refrigerate overnight.
Procedure for the Candied Almonds
- Mix together egg whites, water, brown sugar, sugar, kosher salt and cinnamon until combined.
- Add almonds to above and stir until evenly coated. Pour onto a pan lined with a silpat. Bake 300° F for 30 minutes, stirring after every 10 minutes.
Procedure Golden Raisin Sauce
- Bring orange juice and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat.
- Add raisins and allow to steep for 1 hour. Purée. Strain.
- (Chef's note: Mix may be thinned out with more orange juice to reach desired consistency. Yellow gel color may need to be added to enhance the color of the sauce.)
Procedure for the Carrot Gel
- Cryovac carrots and juice. Sous vide 175° F for 2 hours.
- Mix together sugar, agar and xanthan to prevent lumping when added to liquid. Place all ingredients together in a pot and bring to a boil. Allow mix to boil for a full minute.
- Purée in a blender until smooth. Strain. Cool until mixture is set. Purée in a blender until smooth. Strain.
For Plating
- Cut carrot cake into desired size. Whip mascarpone cream, place in a piping bag with desired piping tip. Place carrot gel in a squeeze bottle.
- Decorate plate with golden raisin sauce. (Chef's note: I like my sauce a little thinner, so I did a drop splatter design.) Place on a slice of carrot cake. Pipe on mascarpone cream. Decorate with carrot gel and candied almonds. Garnish with micro celery (Chef's note: because that’s funny … carrots and celery) or micro carrot greens. Serve and enjoy.