Steamed Carrot Cake with Honey Yogurt Frosting

Easy, Moderate, Complex

Ingredients

  • In one large bowl combine sugar, crumbs  and all wet ingredients:
    • 1 cup packed brown sugar (200 g)
    • 1 cup dry bread crumbs (100 g)
    • 1 cup buttermilk (250 ml)
    • ¾ cp molasses (187 ml)
    • 1/4 cup canola oil (60 ml)
    • ¼ cup applesauce ( 60 ml)
    • 2 eggs, beaten
    • 1 ½ cups grated carrots (150 g)
    • 1 cup dried cranberries (200 g)
    • ½ cup dried figs (125 g)
    • ¼ cup slivered candied ginger (4 nice slices)
    • 2 tablespoons grated orange rind (30 g)
  • In another large bowl sift your dry ingredients through a sieve into the bow together:
    • 2 cps white flour (220 g)
    • 2 tsp baking powder (10 g)
    • ½ tsp baking soda (2.5 g)
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon (5 g)
    • ½ teaspoon ginger (2.5 g)
    • ½ teaspoon cloves (2.5)
    • ½ teaspoon nutmeg (grated fresh with whole nutmeg) (2.5 g)
  • For the Honey Yogurt frosting:
    • 1 x 750 g container plain yogurt (any fat content works)
    • 2 layers of cheesecloth
    • 2 -3 tablespoon liquid honey (30 – 45 ml)
    • A pinch kosher salt
    • A few gratings of lemon peel
    • A few gratings of orange peel for the cake garnish

Method

  1. Add dry ingredients to molasses mixture and stir till just combined. Don’t over stir 
  2. Pour your batter into a well greased pudding mold or heatproof bowl and cover tightly.  (you can also use leftover tin cans like a large tuna can, for example)
  3. Immerse in a water bath to come 1/3 way up the sides of your mold. Cover with a lid or tin foil.
  4. Steam for 1 ½ hours in a preheated 350 degree oven.
  5. Serve warm with a drizzle of your frosting.
  6. For the Honey Yogurt frosting:
    1. Empty a carton of plain yogurt (without gelatin or other thickeners) into a strainer lined with a double layer of cheesecloth (or paper coffee filter), and place over a bowl. Cover with wrap and refrigerate overnight.
    2. 6 – 8 hours later, the yogurt has released about 1 ¼ cups water and has the consistency of soft cream cheese. 
    3. Add the liquid honey to taste, a pinch of salt, a few gratings of lemon peel. Mix well.
    4. Slather over the warm cake. Garnish with some fresh grated orange zest right on top