If I imagine "seasonal cake" for autumn, carrot cake would be one of them - in my opinion. This is a cake which I have baked so many times for my friends, and always had a discussion on "amount of frosting." I really like to give a generous amount of frosting, and we all agreed: it does make a difference! I add so much carrots in this cake, but thanks to baking soda, it always comes out soft and moist.
Ingredients: (for the cake)
3 dl flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla sugar
2 tbs cinnamon
4 eggs
3 dl sugar
1.5 dl oil (I usually use grape seed oil)
4-5 carrots - grated (it would make about 350g)
Ingredients: (for the frosting)
250 g cream cheese with fruits (orange/pineapple)
50 g butter - softened in room temperature
100 g icing sugar (melis)
1 dash Cointreau
Directions:
1) Shift all the dry ingredients for the cake (flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla sugar, and cinnamon).
2) Preheat oven for 190 C degrees, and grease the cake form (I use about 26cm diameter.)
3) Whip egg and sugar until thick and creamy, using an electric mixer.
4) Add flour mixture, oil, and grated carrots. Mix quickly with wooden spoon.
5) Pour the batter into greased form, and bake about 35 minutes or until done.
Tips: Stick a thin bamboo stick or knife into the center of the cake, and if it comes out clean, it's done. If the edges start getting brown although center is still soft, cover the cake with aluminum foil with a cross opening in the middle (so that only the center gets direct heat from the oven.)
6) Let it cool completely in wire wrack.
Frosting: (Do this after the cake is completely cooled.)
7) Whip all the ingredients for the frosting together, and spread over cooled carrot cake.