Everyone has a recipe for carrot cake….this is similar and the colour will fool you. When making the batter it is, of course, red (looks like a red velvet cake) ..when it is baked, it is not. As far as taste and flavour go, it is hard to beat (excuse the pun). Truly a delicious cake and the icing….WOW!
This recipe is from the Walnut Beach Resort Chef, Justin.
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cup Crisco oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 up brown sugar
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla
- 3 cups grated beets (peeled and grated raw – wear gloves)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees or set your barbecue (that is right) with indirect heat with the far left burner on high and the burner next to it on low. Grease and flour 2 x 8 or 9 inch cake pans.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the eggs, oil, sugars and vanilla together.
In three stages, stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until they are just mixed together.
Fold in your grated beets and divide the batter between the two pans equally.
Bake 40-45 minutes in the oven or bake with the lid closed on the barbecue , checking every 15 minutes until done. Test with a toothpick.
Remove and allow to completely cool.
Icing
9 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sifted icing sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups rhubarb
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Take the rhubarb, sugar and water and place in a small pot on the stove. bring to a boil.
Lower the temperature and cook until it becomes thick, like jam. About 30 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, whip the ceam cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy. Add the sifted icing sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy.
Scrape the sides of the bowl down and add the cooled rhubarb jam and mix in.
Add as much of the rhubarb mixture as you like to taste. Put about half of the icing on the top of the bottom layer, place the second cake on top and finish icing.
If making two separate cakes, make the icing 1.5 times to ensure you have enough for both.
Garnish
Take one beet (medium size) and peel then slice very thin on a mandolin (if you have one). In a saucepan of 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar, boil for 4-5 minutes to thicken and cook the beets.
. On a parchment lined cookie sheet, lay out the slices and bake in a 250 oven for 45 minutes or so. They will appear to be a little limp when you first remove them from the cookie sheet, but as they cool, they crisp up (like chips). Put a handful on top of the cake. You devil you, who knew you were so clever?
This is amazing…..try it and I know you will like it.
