Middle Eastern · Dessert

Carrot Cake with Sesame Caramel Frosting

Name: Carrot Cake with Sesame Caramel Frosting
Total time: 3 h 5 min
Yield: Serves 8 · 1 layer cake (9 in), 8 slices, with extra caramel sauce
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 300 g granulated sugar; 60 ml water; 85 g unsalted butter, room temperature; 42 g halvah, crumbled; 180 ml heavy cream; 1 tsp kosher salt; 250 g all-purpose flour; 1 tsp kosher salt; 2 tsp baking soda; 1 tbsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground allspice; 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds; 90 g sweetened shredded coconut; 4 eggs, room temperature; 400 g granulated sugar; 240 ml canola oil; 440 g carrots, peeled and grated; 450 g cream cheese, room temperature; 240 ml sesame caramel sauce, cold, from the batch above; 57 g unsalted butter, room temperature, divided; 125 g halvah, grated, for the top

A two-layer carrot cake with coconut and warm spices, frosted with cream cheese beaten with a caramel sauce made with halvah. The sauce makes twice what you need, so there is plenty to drizzle.

YieldServes 8 · 1 layer cake (9 in), 8 slices, with extra caramel sauce
Hands-on1 h 15 min
Total3 h 5 min
Difficulty

Ingredients

Sesame caramel sauce

300 ggranulated sugar
60 mlwater
85 gunsalted butter, room temperature
42 ghalvah, crumbled
180 mlheavy cream
1 tspkosher salt

Cake

250 gall-purpose flour
1 tspkosher salt
2 tspbaking soda
1 tbspground cinnamon
1 tspground allspice
2 tbsptoasted sesame seedsoptional
90 gsweetened shredded coconut
4eggs, room temperature
400 ggranulated sugar
240 mlcanola oil
440 gcarrots, peeled and grated

Frosting

450 gcream cheese, room temperature
240 mlsesame caramel sauce, cold, from the batch above
57 gunsalted butter, room temperature, divided
125 ghalvah, grated, for the top

Contains

Gluten
Dairy
Egg
Sesame
Birds' eggs (any)
Wheat
Coconut
Cabbage family (any)
Carrot
Allspice
Cinnamon
Lactose
FODMAPs (any)

Taste

Sweet
Sour / bright
Salty
Richness / fat
Aromatic spice

Texture

Creamy
Tender-braised

Equipment

Oven
Stovetop
Stand mixer

Season

Spring

Occasion

Weekend project
Entertaining
Holiday

Effort

45–90 min active
Over 3 hours total
Difficulty 3
Make-ahead friendly

Nutrition

Calories: high
Protein: moderate
Carbs: high
Fat: high
Fiber: moderate
Sodium: high

Budget

Budget: moderate

What it costs to shop for

Members can download a cost breakdown for any recipe in Excel: what to buy after trimming, how many packages, and the cost per serving, scaled to however many you’re cooking for.

Method

The method is for members

The timed method (mise en place, a cook timeline with minutes per step, and cook mode with timers) is delivered to members in their packages, adapted to how they cook.

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