This carrot cake is extremely rich and moist, thanks to the coconut and pineapple in the batter. I used a wonderful carrot cake recipe from Diana Rattray, About.com's guide to Southern food, and added some dulce de leche to the batter. The cream cheese icing has a subtle coconut flavor that is delicious. To serve carrot cake as individual "petit fours" - bake the cake in a 9x13 pan, and cut it into squares before icing. Top each little cake with a marzipan carrot, if you're feeling crafty.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- Diana Rattray's carrot cake batter
- 1/4 cup dulce de leche
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/4 cup cream of coconut
- 4-5 cups confectioners sugar
- 2 teaspoons coconut flavoring
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Packaged or homemade marzipan for marzipan carrots
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350 Prepare carrot cake batter according to recipe. Stir dulce de leche into the batter.
- Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with wax paper. Pour batter into the pan. Bake cake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes.
- Cool cake completely, then chill cake if possible for easier slicing.
- Prepare Frosting: In a standing mixer, ream butter and cream cheese together until fluffy. Add cream of coconut and mix well. Add coconut flavoring, salt and vanilla.
- Sift powdered sugar and add gradually to butter/cream cheese mixture, until frosting is has desired consistency. If frosting is too stiff, add a little more cream of coconut. If it is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
- Cut carrot cake into 20 small rectangles. Place the rectangles on a mesh cooling rack.
- Soften the frosting by placing it in the microwave very briefly, about 15 seconds, until it is almost pourable. Spoon icing over the cake squares, letting it drip down the sides.
- Once icing is set, place cakes inside of paper liners for cupcakes.
- Prepare 20 marzipan carrots and top each cake with one.
- Keep cakes refrigerated until ready to serve.
