Carrot Cake

Name: Carrot Cake
Yield: makes 1 (9-inch) layer cake
Ingredients: 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pans; 3 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted, plus more for the pans; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup carrot puree (see Notes); 1 1/2 cups buttermilk; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar; 4 large eggs; 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans; 1/2 cup golden raisins, plumped (see Notes); 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened; 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened; 1 tablespoon grated orange zest; 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice; 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 pound (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

December 9, 2011

When you round the curve on Black Hawk Road in hilly Carroll County, you will see it on the left. In four-foot letters the name “Cox” is spelled out in boxwoods. About twenty years ago Mr. Cox started cutting his hedges into all manner of fanciful shapes. He has had a life-size cowboy wearing a Stetson and riding a horse, an alligator, a bird in a cage, and an elephant two times life-size. One of my favorites is a rabbit eating a carrot. Mr. Cox kind of has the temperament of Mr. McGregor in The Tale of Peter Rabbit. He has even snipped a self-portrait out of his hedgerow. It looks just like him, with a long beard and a farmer’s straw hat perched on his head. I love to go out and visit with him. He is a spirited old gent and he lets you know pretty quickly if he is in the mood for company or not. If I bring him a carrot cake, he seems more amiable.

Recipe notes

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