Carrot Cake with Quince Syrup and Spiced Buttercream

I love a good carrot cake. The recipe is always easy, no need for a mixer, and can be adapted quite a lot too. 

This most recent adaptation came about when it suddenly occurred to me that quince syrup could be substituted for the usual honey/golden syrup often used in carrot cakes. I buy sticky quince syrup from Singing Magpie Produce, and I’m not sure if there is anyone else who produces a similar product. 

While I highly recommend buying from Singing Magpie Produce, if you are outside Australia or wish for another alternative, date syrup/molasses can be used instead. In fact I’m sure many other fruit based syrups/molasses could be trailed in a recipe like this. I just wouldn’t try pomegranate molasses, as it would be too tart. 

Using a product such as quince syrup rather than honey or something similar, allows the cake to be less sweet - though the buttercream here makes up for that! However the combination is quite nice as they compliment each other. This is also a nice cake without icing too if you want to keep it as it is. 

You could make this cake an Easter carrot cake by decorating with small Easter eggs or similar. 

Carrot Cake with Quince Syrup and Spiced Buttercream

Ingredients: 

75g panela or brown sugar

125ml canola or vegetable oil

125ml quince syrup (I use this one)

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

225g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarb soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground cardamom 

3 medium carrots, grated

For the icing:

150g unsalted butter, at room temp 

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

190g icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom 

Method: 

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius and grease and line a 20cm round springform cake tin.

In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, oil, quince syrup, eggs and vanilla.

Then add the flour, baking powder and spices. Sift in the bicarb soda and whisk together until combined.

Then add the grated carrots to the cake mixture and mix to combine. 

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula. 

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is golden, springy to the touch and a skewer comes out clean.

Remove the outer edge of the cake tin and allow the cake to cool on a wire rack.

To make the icing, beat the butter and vanilla in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for at least 1 minute, or until the butter is light and fluffy. 

Add the icing sugar and spices and beat for a further minute or two, or until the icing sugar is well combined and the icing is light and fluffy. 

Spread the icing over the cake.

Serves 8-10. 

Carrot Cake with Biscoff Buttercream for Easter

Yes, I know. Again with the Biscoff Spread!

Since discovering this caramelised biscuit spread, I have had many ideas for what I could do with it, apart from just using it as a spread. Adding it to a buttercream was one of them, and I can confirm it is delicious!

Since I don’t eat chocolate, I always need to think of something a little different to enjoy at Easter. I thought a carrot cake was quite a fitting alternative, especially decorated with a few pastel Easter eggs.

I have used panela sugar in this recipe as I love the caramel flavour it gives, however you can use the same quantity of brown sugar. I have also used some date syrup to add a little deeper flavour and colour to the cake, but if you don’t have any it can be substituted for more honey.

I hope you have a lovely long weekend, and get to enjoy a slice of cake, Easter egg or hot cross bun - or even better get to spend some time in the kitchen and bake some for yourself!

Carrot Cake with Biscoff Buttercream

Ingredients: 

110g panela sugar (or light/dark brown sugar) 

185ml canola/vegetable oil 

85ml date syrup

100ml honey

4 eggs 

1.5 tsp vanilla bean paste 

335g plain flour

3 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp bicarb soda 

2 tsp Hot Cross Bun spice*

4 large carrots, grated

Ingredients for the Buttercream: 

150g unsalted butter, at room temp

190g icing mixture/sugar 

130g (approx. 1/2 cup) smooth Biscoff spread

pastel Easter eggs, optional

edible flowers, optional

Method: 

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line two 20 cm round springform baking tins with baking paper. 

In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, oil, date syrup, honey, eggs and vanilla.

Then add the flour, baking powder and Hot Cross Bun Spice. Sift in the bicarb soda and whisk together until combined.

Then add the grated carrots to the cake mixture and mix to combine. 

Equally divide the batter between the two prepared tins and bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until each cake is springy to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Leave the cakes the cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes, then remove from the tin and leave to cool completely. 

To make the icing, beat the butter using a stand mixer and the whisk or paddle attachment for 1-2 minutes, or until it is pale and creamy (if your butter is still a bit cold, you will need to beat it a bit longer than this). Add in the icing sugar, and beat for another 1-2 minutes or until the icing is fluffy.

Add the Biscoff spread and beat until combined.

Place one of the cakes on a plate or cake stand, and spread half the buttercream over the top. Top with the second cake, and spread over the remaining buttercream. Decorate with pastel Easter eggs and edible flowers if you wish.

Serves about 8.

*I have used the Hot Cross Bun Spice from Gewurzhaus, as they kindly sent me some. This spice is a combination of cassia, coriander, ginger and clove. You can substitute with your own mixture of these spices or just add 1tsp cinnamon and 1tsp mixed spice.