Author Topic: Ben Starr's Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting  (Read 9689 times)

SherriPie

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Ben Starr's Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
« on: August 17, 2011, 01:12:57 PM »
Umpa this one would be AMAZING if you could convert it for me. This is from the show Masterchief. It looked amazing! The only thing is my son is deathly allergic to any treenuts so we can't use almond flower in baking. I have posted the "How To" by Ben Starr straight from his web site. Do you think it can be done??



Ben Starr's Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

 
This is the cake that I get demands for every October at my annual Fall Dinner Party, where I serve a 5 course meal with each course based on pumpkin. Regardless of what unique, delicious pumpkin dessert I have planned, people always email and call ahead to ask if I’m doing my Pumpkin Carrot Cake. I can’t let them down.

This is also the cake that Gordon Ramsay loved on MasterChef, and that Graham Elliot said gave his mouth an orgasm.

This is one of the most delicious cakes you’ll ever eat. It has a definite carrot cake flavor, but it’s a lot more moist and spicy.

I normally make this as a 3 layer cake using 9" cake pans.  On MasterChef I sliced each layer in half, resulting in a 6 layer cake.  (To better facilitate the slicing, freeze the cake rounds for 30 minutes to stiffen them up, then carefully rotate the cake as you slice back and forth with a long bread knife.  A lazy susan helps, but isn't necessary.)


2 sticks butter, softened (do NOT use margarine)


Whip until the butter is light and creamy.  Then add:


1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup brown sugar


Cream the butter and sugars together until they are light and fluffy, at least 3 minutes, preferably 5.

Then add:


3 large egg yolks


Blend on medium speed for 3 more minutes. Then add:


1 ¼ cups pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin is okay, or microwave sweet potatoes or butternut squash in season, and puree)
1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Blend on medium speed for 3 more minutes.  You should have a thick, airy, lightly-colored batter.  Then fold in:


2 cups grated carrots

 

In a separate bowl, combine:

2 1/2 cups (12.5 oz) all-purpose flour (I use 8 oz AP flour and 4.5 oz cake flour)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 Tablespoon ginger

1 Tablespoon ground cardamom

1/4 tsp each nutmeg, allspice, cloves
1 teaspoon salt

(To kick this recipe up a notch, lightly toast your spices in a skillet over medium heat for a few seconds to bloom the flavor, then add to the flour.)

Stir around with your fingers until they’re well mixed. Then sift at least twice through a sifter or strainer.  Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on slowest speed until combined.


In a separate bowl, (or THOROUGHLY wash your mixer bowl to remove all traces of fat) beat:


6 egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tarter (optional, but recommended)


To stiff peaks.  Start out on high speed, and as the whites begin to change color from foamy yellow to a whiter color, lower the speed to medium low and whip VERY slowly, adding the maximum amount of air without damaging the protein structure of the whites.  Once you have reached stiff peaks, stop immediately.  (It's better to be just shy of still peaks than past stiff peaks where the white separate into curds when you scoop them.)  Stir 1/3 of the whites into the batter to lighten the batter.  Gently fold the remaining 2/3 into the cake batter until you can't see any clumps of white left.


Divide it equally into parchment-lined, greased and floured cake pans. (I spray my cake pans with canola oil, add a round of parchment or wax paper, spray again, and then liberally flour them, shake the flour around, and dump it out.)


Bake in a preheated 325F oven for 30 minutes (or 50 minutes for deep 6” rounds) or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  (I spray the tops of my cakes with water before putting them in the oven, and toss a few ice cubes in the bottom of the oven at the same time, to make the cakes bake flatter without peaking in the center.)

 

Remove from the oven and cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Then dump upside down (gently!) onto a cooling rack to cool completely.


I like to chill my cakes before I frost them. They hold up better. 45 minutes in the freezer is usually perfect, but make sure the cake is fully cool before putting it in your freezer or you may thaw out other things in the freezer. While the cake is cooling, make up the frosting.

 

FROSTING:

***Please note this makes enough frosting for a 6 layer cake.  You can halve the recipe if you are only making 2 or 3 layers.***

16 ounces (2 packages) cream cheese (or mascarpone, or lebni/labneh...a Middle Eastern kefir yogurt cheese)

2 sticks butter, softened


Cream together cheese and butter with a hand or stand mixer on high speed until it’s light and fluffy. Then slowly begin to add:

 

1-2 pounds confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar) depending on how sweet you like the frosting

 

Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly. I like to start with low speed right after I’ve added sugar to keep it from flying everywhere, then increase the speed as it gets incorporated. Continue adding sugar in small batches and mixing thoroughly until the frosting reaches the desired sweetness level. Then add:

 

2 teaspoons vanilla


Beat on slow speed until the vanilla begins to get mixed in, then beat on the highest speed possible for 2 minutes to ensure a light and fluffy frosting.

 

Frost the cake liberally. Don’t worry too much about crumbs getting into the frosting,so it’s not critical to have a perfectly clean frosting job.
« Last Edit: August 18, 2011, 08:39:58 AM by SherriPie »
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shawn116

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Re: Ben Starr's Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
« Reply #1 on: August 17, 2011, 09:08:29 PM »
I was drooling just reading this post and I think I gained 5 lbs!!  LOL  This truly sounds amazing!!  ;)  I can't wait to see if Umpa can do her magic on this one  ;D

umpa

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Re: Ben Starr's Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2011, 09:22:40 AM »
Sherripie i made a cake thats really close to this in the Bakery Book.Its a pumpkin caramel cake.I just made it last week.
Ingredients 
 2 cups NOW brand unblanched almond flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
½ teaspoon ground ginger 
¼ teaspoon ground cloves 
 ½ teaspoon salt 
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature 
½ cup Xylitol  2 large eggs 
 2 teaspoon butter/vanilla emulsion ( vanilla extract ok) 
¾ cup unsweetened canned pumpkin puree Frosting Ingredients 
8 oz Walden farms Caramel dip  8 oz Cream cheese

I have made this with Golden flax when I was out of  almond.The carrots can be subsituted with zuchinni dyed like with my carrot cake recipe.The 1/2 cup brown sugar can be replaced with 1/4 sugarfree maple syrup.If you want me to cook this i will,Sounds yummy!

SherriPie

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Re: Ben Starr's Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2011, 09:53:03 AM »
I would love for you to make it and invite me over to eat it  ;D ;D
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umpa

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Re: Ben Starr's Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2011, 08:53:07 AM »
I will make your recipe over the weekend and post it. :D

umpa

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Re: Ben Starr's Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2011, 08:42:58 AM »
Off to frost your cake ;)

SherriPie

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Re: Ben Starr's Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2011, 08:52:00 AM »
Well?? How did it go?? Was it awesome?? Did you take pictures??

Don't leave me hanging here... AHHH!!!



 :) :) :)
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umpa

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Re: Ben Starr's Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
« Reply #7 on: August 22, 2011, 09:34:02 AM »
3 Layer Pumpkin Carrot Cake *Entire Cake is 22 carb Very Large Cake
*This recipe was converted for sherripie’s son who has treenut allergies. Almond flour  or golden flax flour could also be used,just change carb count.

 
2 sticks butter, softened (do NOT use margarine)

¾ cup xylitol

¼  cup sugarfree maple syrup

3 large egg yolks

1 ¼ cups pumpkin puree unsweetened

2 teaspoon vanilla

 2 cups grated zucchini dyed with orange food coloring(yellow and red make orange)After shredding put in dish towel and roll up tight to get water out before coloring.

4 cups Flaxseed Flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 Tablespoon ginger

1 Tablespoon ground cardamom

1/4 tsp each nutmeg, allspice, cloves
1 teaspoon salt

6 egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Frosting
12 oz 1/3 less fat Philadelphia cream cheese (0 carbs)
1 1/2 sticks butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
¼ xylitol

DIRECTIONS (use stand mixer or hand mixer)
Preheat oven to 325 and  spray 3 -9 inch round cake pans with non stick cooking spray.
Whip 2 sticks butter until creamy.
Add ¾ cup xylitol and ¼ cup maple syrup. Cream togther until light and fluffy
Add 3 egg yolks,mix .
Add pumpkin and two teaspoons vanilla.mix well
Add zuchinni.
In separate bowl mix:
4 cups flaxseed flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon cardamom
11/4 teaspoon each nutmeg, allspice ,and cloves
1 teaspoon salt
Add to bowl 1/3 at a time with the wet ingredients until mixed well.
In a clean mixing bowl whip 6 egg whites and ½ teaspoon cream of tartar until meringue is stiff.
Fold into cake batter until you don’t see any meringue.
Divide batter equally between 3 pans.
Bake at 325 for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out dry.


Remove from the oven and cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Then gently dump upside down  onto a cooling rack to cool completely.(At least one hour)



FROSTING:

12 ounces 1/3 fat Philadelphia cream cheese (0 carbs)
1½  sticks butter, softened


Cream together cheese and butter with a hand or stand mixer on high speed until it’s light and fluffy. (3-4 minutes)

add 2 teaspoons vanilla and ¼ cup xylitol.Whip 4 minutes or until light and fluffy.(Frosting will firm up when cake goes in the fridge.)
Put first layer on plate and cover top with frosting only.
Stack second layer on top of first.Frost top only.
Add third layer and frost top and sides.
Refridgerate to firm frosting.Can be served in one hour.
*Store cake in fridge because of frosting ingredients.



 

.

 
« Last Edit: August 22, 2011, 09:46:00 AM by umpa »

SherriPie

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Re: Ben Starr's Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2011, 09:36:41 AM »
OH

MY

GOSH!

That looks delicious! Was it good?

Printing out recipe right now. Will be making it on Thursday! Can't wait!
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umpa

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Re: Ben Starr's Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
« Reply #9 on: August 22, 2011, 09:44:40 AM »
It is amazing! Dougs new favorite! Very moist because of the zucchini and pumpkin.Make sure you get all the water out of the zuchinni.After I shred mine I put it in a dish towel and roll it up until moisture comes out then I dye it. Better put that in recipe!Enjoy!

morgan

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Re: Ben Starr's Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
« Reply #10 on: November 02, 2014, 01:22:23 PM »
Umpa what can I substitute the canned (?) pumpkin puree with?  We don't have this in Australia.



umpa

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Re: Ben Starr's Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
« Reply #11 on: November 03, 2014, 08:33:26 AM »
Can you buy a fresh pumpkin Morgan? I grow my own it north carolina  :) If you cant my carrot cake recipe is in the Fat to Skinny Bakery book and its made with zucchini an its grandsons favorite!