Baking

Spiced carrot cake with labneh icing

Name: Spiced carrot cake with labneh icing
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 500g thick Greek-style yoghurt; 1/2 cup (60g) pure icing sugar, sifted; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 cups (300g) plain flour; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp mixed spice; 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 440g can crushed pineapple, drained; 3 eggs; 3 carrots, peeled, finely grated; 1 1/2 cups (330g) caster sugar; 1 1/2 cups (375ml) sunflower oil; 1/2 cup (90g) roughly chopped pistachios, plus extra to serve; 1/2 cup (110g) sultanas; Edible rose petals (from gourmet food shops), to serve

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by Valli Little

delicious. team

May 01, 2017

Loaded with spices and topped with a homemade labneh icing, this carrot cake is anything but ordinary.

500g thick Greek-style yoghurt
1/2 cup (60g) pure icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups (300g) plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
440g can crushed pineapple, drained
3 eggs
3 carrots, peeled, finely grated
1 1/2 cups (330g) caster sugar
1 1/2 cups (375ml) sunflower oil
1/2 cup (90g) roughly chopped pistachios, plus extra to serve
1/2 cup (110g) sultanas
Edible rose petals (from gourmet food shops), to serve

Method

1.

To make labneh icing, combine yoghurt and 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl. Transfer to a colander lined with muslin or a clean Chux cloth set over a bowl. Fold over cloth to cover and weigh down with a plate. Chill for 24 hours to drain.
2.

The next day, remove labneh from refrigerator and place in a bowl with icing sugar and vanilla. Stir until smooth.
3.

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease the base and sides of a 10cm-deep, 20cm round cake pan and line with baking paper.
4.

Sift flour, bicarb, baking powder and spices into a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine pineapple, eggs, carrot, sugar and oil, then add to spiced flour and stir to combine. Add pistachio and sultanas, and stir until well combined.
5.

Pour into prepared cake pan. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour, then loosely cover with foil and bake for a further 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
6.

Spread icing over the cooled cake. Garnish with rose petals and extra pistachio to serve.