To die for!
Have you always wondered which sweet the late Queen Elizabeth preferred with her tea? Then you have the answer to your question! Britain’s longest-serving queen was crazy about the homemade carrot cake from the chefs of Buckingham Palace. And they kindly share this recipe, along with many other royal recipes, with us in the book ‘Royal Teas: Seasonal Recipes from Buckingham Palace’.
Royal Cookbook
There’s nothing more comforting than being served a nice big piece of homemade carrot cake while drinking a hot cup of tea, right? Queen E clearly agreed, as it was often on her menu for afternoon tea. In the book ‘Royal Teas: Seasonal Recipes from Buckingham Palace’, royal chef Mark Flanagan and royal pastry chef Kathryn Cuthbertson have shared the delicious recipe for the carrot cake they prepared for Her Majesty. And it looks absolutely delicious! The authors describe the cake itself as ‘a dark, spicy cake, deliciously moist, and very addictive’. In any case, that bodes well.
Supplies
To prepare the carrot cake cake the Queen loved, you will need the following ingredients:
- 2 small free-range eggs
- 105 g dark brown sugar
- 105 g light brown sugar
- 150 g whole wheat flour
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 35 g sour cream
- 105 g sunflower oil
- 180 g grated carrots
- 45 g grated coconut
And for the cream cheese topping:
- 110 g soft cream cheese (full fat)
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 50 g icing sugar
- Juice of half a lemon
Finally, don’t forget, you will need a baking pan. For the above portions, a baking tin with a diameter of 18 centimeters is perfect.
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Prepare the baking tin by greasing it with butter and lining the bottom and sides with baking paper. Place the lined baking pan on a flat, sturdy baking tray and set aside until ready to use.
Step 2
In a bowl, beat the eggs, sugars and sunflower oil together until well mixed. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until all ingredients are evenly mixed. Finally, add the grated carrots and sour cream and mix them in as well.
Step 3
Pour the carrot cake batter into the baking tin lined with baking paper. Place the baking pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the cake springs back when you press it. Once the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool on a rack.
For the cream cheese topping:
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the soft butter. Beat well until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and continue beating until a smooth consistency is achieved. Finally, slowly add the lemon juice while continuing to mix.
To assemble the carrot cake:
When the cake has cooled completely, remove it from the baking tin and place it on a plate or bowl of your choice. Using a knife, carefully spread the cream cheese topping evenly over the top of the cake. Et voilà: your carrot cake à la Queen Elizabeth is ready!
Source: Hello! Magazine | Image: NL Image
