Carrot Walnut Cake with Green Tea Frosting
This cake is a perfect balance of sweet but not sugary. The green pekoe adds a tangy but smooth flavor to the frosting. The tea leaves in the cake emphasize the carrots and walnuts, giving the cake depth. This cake is best as a relaxing treat, and not a grab and go quick sugar fix.
4 h 45 m 2Ingredients
- Cake:
- 3 c. flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- 6 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
- 1 c. walnut oil
- 1 c. 2% milk
- 1 c. shredded carrots
- 1/2 c. walnut pieces
- 2 tbsp. green pekoe tea leaves
- Frosting:
- 3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 c. butter (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 c. brewed green pekoe tea
Directions
Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9" Bundt pan with baking spray.
Place carrots, walnuts, and tea leaves in a food processor, and pulse until coarsely chopped. Set aside. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg at medium speed for 5 min. Slowly add powdered sugar and walnut oil and continue to beat for another 5 min. Alternating, add sifted flour mixture and milk, 1 tbsp. at a time, to egg mixture.
Fold in carrot mixture, mix well, and pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in oven for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Frosting:
Beat cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar. Slowly add brewed tea and vanilla and continue beating. Chill for 1 hour, or until thick enough to spread.
Using 1 c. of frosting, cover the Bundt cake with frosting. Let chill for 1 hour. Using another c. of frosting, add a second layer to the frosting. Chill for 2 hours. Cake can be chilled up to 1 day ahead. Let cake stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
