Carrot cake with orange caramel

This amazing cake consists of:

• juicy brown sugar carrot biscuit with walnuts and a hint of orange;
• orange caramel;
• fluffy crème.

Carrots are not tasted here at all, they only add a unique flavor and juiciness. The only negative is that this cake cannot be called light; it’s sweet and very nourishing.

The calculation is for a 18 cm (7 inch) mold.

For the biscuit:

• Eggs - 3 pieces | 3.00 items
• Brown sugar - 220 g | 7.75 oz
• Flour - 250 g | 8.80 oz
• Flavorless vegetable oil - 180 g | 6.35 oz
• Carrots - 240 g | 8.45 oz
• Zest from 1 orange | 1.00 item
• Cinnamon - 6 g | 0.20 oz
• Baking soda - 6 g | 0.20 oz
• Baking powder - 6 g | 0.20 oz
• Walnuts - 120 g | 4.25 oz

Fry and chop the nuts (not very finely). Grate the carrots and the orange zest on a fine grater. Sift the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, and stir with a whisk.

Whip the eggs with sugar until fluffy, and pour in the vegetable oil; whisk lightly.

Add the dry ingredients, and mix. Add the carrots, the zest and the nuts, and mix again; spread the dough evenly over two 18 cm (7 inch) rings.

Bake the biscuit at 160-170C (320 to 338F) for about 40 to 50 minutes (until dry skewer).

Wrap the finished biscuits with the cling film, and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.

For the orange caramel:

• Sugar - 220 g | 7.75 oz
• Glucose syrup - 30 g | 1.05 oz
• Water - 60 g | 2.10 oz
• Butter - 70 g | 2.45 oz
• Cream 33% - 75 g | 2.65 oz
• Orange juice - 75 g | 2.65 oz
• Zest from 1 orange | 1.00 item

Heat the cream and the orange juice separately until very hot, but don’t boil.

Combine the sugar, water and the glucose syrup in a saucepan with a thick bottom; put it on a medium heat. The glucose prevents the sugar crystallization, so the caramel can be easily mixed during the cooking process.

Bring the mass to an amber color, and add the butter; mix.

Reduce the heat, and add the hot cream, orange juice and the zest. Be careful, as the mass will boil! Stir until smooth, and simmer it over a low heat for a couple of minutes. Strain the finished caramel through a sieve, and refrigerate for several hours.

For the crème:

• Cream cheese - 500 g | 17.65 oz
• Cream 33% - 170 g | 6.00 oz
• Powdered sugar - 80 g | 2.80 oz

The cream cheese and the cream should be cold. Combine all the ingredients, and whip on a high mixer speed until a dense fluffy mass.

Cut each biscuit into two cake layers. Follow the next assembling order:

a sponge cake layer – crème (180 g | 6.35 oz) – crème rim (70 g | 2.45 oz) - 1/3 caramel – a biscuit layer.

Repeat all the steps two more times.

Wrap the assembled cake with the cling film, and refrigerate it for at least 8 hours.

For the butter-based coating custard:

• Butter - 140 g | 4.95 oz
• Powdered sugar - 140 g | 4.95 oz
• Cream cheese - 420 g | 14.80 oz

Whip the room temperatured butter until fluffy, and add the powdered sugar; whip again. Add the cream cheese, and whip until combined. Paint the custard with the water-soluble dye.