Uppáhalds gulrótarkakan mín

My current favorite carrot cake

I have baked countless carrot cakes over the last 10 or 15 years, in many different variations and variants. The cake is my daughter's declared favorite cake; she has wanted it for her birthday for years, and of course I also baked a carrot cake for her confirmation, her wedding and the christening of her grandchild.

Some of them were rather opulent cakes, some were quick, simple cakes baked in a classic loaf pan, some with cream cheese or cream, and some just with icing.

Over the years my recipes have changed, and the last few times I baked carrot cake with peaches in it, along with chopped hazelnuts and almonds. At the moment, this is my current favorite version of an Icelandic carrot cake.

Recently a friend of mine, who I wanted to bake a cake for, asked me if she would like the carrot cake..? Yes, of course, of course! And when we had visitors over the next few days, I baked carrot cake again and the visitors raved that it was, without a lie, the best carrot cake they had ever eaten... Well, that makes you feel...!

Ingredients for the dough

250 g soft butter

250 g brown sugar

5 eggs (separate)

170 g flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

100 g chopped hazelnuts

100 g chopped almonds

1 can of peaches

1 pinch of salt

250 g carrots, peeled and grated

Ingredients for the glaze

400 g cream cheese

250 g mascarpone

200 g powdered sugar

2 Tbsp peach water

2 - 3 Tbsp chopped hazelnuts

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C) upper/lower heat.

Mix the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then add the egg yolks one at a time and mix.

Add flour, baking powder and baking soda and mix.

Take the peaches out of the can and chop them into small pieces.

Add the chopped peaches to the batter and 3 tablespoons of the liquid from the can.

Also stir the grated carrots into the dough.

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff and carefully fold them into the dough.

Then divide the dough into two portions, put each in a springform pan lined with baking paper (9 - 10 inches (approx. 24 cm) in diameter), smooth it out and bake in a preheated oven at 350 °F (180 °C) upper and lower heat for about 40 minutes (test with a toothpick!).

Then let the two cake layers cool thoroughly.

For the cream, mix the powdered sugar with cream cheese, mascarpone and approx. 2 tablespoons of liquid from the peach can.

Place the first cake layer on a cake plate or similar, spread about 1/3 of the cream on top and then place the second cake layer on top.

For decorative purposes, transfer some of the cream into a large syringe with a star nozzle, then spread the remaining cream onto the top cake base.

Scatter the chopped hazelnuts over the cream and pipe the remaining cream all over.

If possible, let the cake sit in the fridge for several hours and then serve well chilled.

Bon appetit!

[Translated from here.]