Cardamom Spiced Carrot Cake

Name: Cardamom Spiced Carrot Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 10-12 serving(s)
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 2 teaspoons ground cardamom; 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 4 large eggs, room temperature; 2 cups granulated sugar; 1 cup vegetable oil; 1/3 cup buttermilk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 lbs carrots, grated coarsely (about 6 cups); 1 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped; 24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature; 1 cup powdered sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Submitted by Busters friend

"They had me with the cardamom! Knew I had to keep this recipe forwarded by a friend. Too darned hot to enjoy it now but fall is just around the hot sticky humid corner so I am stashing this one for fall use."

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photo by tuoifran

Ready In:: 1hr 20mins
Ingredients:: 17
Serves:: 10-12

ingredients

For the cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons cinnamon, ground
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
¹⁄₃ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 lbs carrots, grated coarsely (about 6 cups)
1 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
For the Frosting
24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

directions

Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange the rack in the middle.
Coat two 8-inch cake pans with butter and flour, and tap out any excess flour. Set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, and salt in a large bowl, and whisk to aerate and break up any lumps. Set aside.
Combine eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla in a large bowl, and whisk until eggs are broken up and mixture is thoroughly combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in carrots and walnuts until evenly mixed.
Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes.
Remove cakes from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the perimeter of each, and turn cakes out onto the rack to cool completely.
For the Frosting:
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, and beat at low speed until sugar is incorporated.
Increase speed to medium high and beat until frosting is light and whipped, about 3 to 4 minutes.
For the Assembly:
To frost, place a cake layer on an 8-inch cardboard round, a tart-pan bottom, or a cake plate. Evenly spread about 1/3 of the frosting over the top of the layer. Stack the second layer, and evenly spread another 1/3 of the frosting over the top and sides of the whole cake. (Don’t worry about looks at this point—this is just a crumb layer, and it will be covered up later.)
Place in the refrigerator until frosting is set up and slightly hard, about 15 minutes.
Remove from the refrigerator and spread remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake, ensuring it’s as even as possible. Serve.

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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Busters friend

Pleasure Island, 73

First about Buster: Buster moved onto whatever comes next on February 26, 2008. He was just shy of five years old. I miss him terribly. He came into our lives when he ran out in front of my car late one night as I was driving home. A just under 4 pound ball of kitten fluff, complete with an ostrich boa tail that stayed straight up as he assessed his new domain. He became a 19 pound longhaired beast who guarded our house (he followed any new guests or servicepeople the entire time they are on the property) & even killed copperheads (among other things with his hunting buddy, Fergus the short-tailed)! Friends never saw his formidible side as he smiled at them & uttered the most incongruent kitten-like mews as he threaded legs! He liked to ride in the car & came to the beach. There are Buster-approved recipes in my offerings - however, HE decided which he wanted to consider - Buster demonstrated he liked pumpkin anything - ALOT -LOL!!! Copperhead count 2006 - Buster 2 (10 inchers w/yellow tails) 2007 - Buster & Roxie 1 (a 24 incher!) Buster woken from beauty sleep - http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/62264/DSCN0335.JPG Big whiskers - http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/62264/DSCN0333.JPG For those of you who gave kind condolences - thank you so very much. http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=250301 I love to cook & incorporate techniques from Southern/Mid Atlantic roots (grits, eastern NC BBQ shoulders, Brunswick stew, steamed crabs & shrimp & shellfish, hushpuppies, cornbread, greens, shad roe, scrapple) with Pacific Rim foods & techniques aquired while living in Pacific Northwest, fish & game recipes learned while living in Rocky Mountain region & foods/techniques learned travelling to the Big Island & up into BC & Alberta & into the Caribbean. The Middle Eastern/African likes I have are remnants of my parents who lived for many years in North Africa & Mediterranean before I was thought of. Makes for wide open cooking! Since moving back east we try to go annually in the deep winter to Montreal (Old Montreal auberges & La Reine) & Quebec City (Winter Carnival & Chateau Frontenac)- for unctuous foie gras & real cheeses, French & Canadian meals prepared & served exquisitely, fantastic music & wonderful people - with the cold helping burn off some of the calories! I love putting in our aluminum jonboat & heading across the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) to the barrier islands for foraging & exploring! Bodysurfing is a lifelong sport for me - one that a person's body never seems to forget how to do, once the knack is learned (thank goodness!) I especially miss cool summers & foggy/drizzly days & fall mushroom foraging/anytime of year hot springing in WA, OR, MT, ID, BC & Alberta.

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