Black Carrot Cake with Greek Yogurt Frosting

Black Carrot Cake with Greek Yogurt Frosting

Adapted from Martha's American Food and SmittenKitchen

I like to grate the carrots by hand because I want it very finely grated for an extra soft batter. The food processor works too, but the pieces will be thicker. Also, with heirloom black carrots you’ll get your hands all black/purple messy, something I do enjoy quite a bit.

I like to refrigerate the cakes and eat cold. I know it sounds weird, but seriously, it’s a must. It gets so moist and yummy after sitting for a couple of hours in the fridge.

Ingredients

Makes 12 cupcakes (or one two-layer cake, see instructions at the end)

Cake

1 cup / 4.4 oz / 125 gr whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup / 7 oz / 200 gr firmly packed brown sugar

½ cup / 120 ml vegetable oil (I used peanut oil)

2 large free-range eggs (or 2 flax eggs)

1 ½ cups grated peeled (heirloom) carrots (about 3 medium carrots)

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Greek yogurt frosting

1 6 oz / 170 gr container fat-free Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup powdered sugar

Directions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and place a rack in the middle. Line 12 cupcake molds with papers, or butter and flour them.

In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to blend.

Whisk sugar and oil in a large bowl until well blended, Whisk in eggs (or flax eggs) 1 at a time. Add flour mixture and stir until well blended. Stir in carrots and walnuts.

Divide batter among cupcake molds, filling ¾ of each.

Bake cupcakes 18 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Let cool in pans for five minutes, then transfer cake to a cooling rack.

Let cool completely before icing.

To make a carrot layer cake: Double the ingredients. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans instead of cupcake molds. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Butter and flour paper; tap excess flour. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, and bake the layers for about 40 minutes each, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks. Peel off waxed paper; cool cakes completely before assembling.

Greek yogurt frosting

Whisk all ingredients until they become a bit thick. Place in the fridge to thicken even more (at least 30 minutes). Spread on cupcakes.

To assemble a carrot layer: double the frosting quantities. Frost the top of one cake, place the other cake on top. Frost the sides and top. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to set up frosting.