Enjoying sherry wine / pairings and recipes / Cream
Cooking time: 1 hour
I’ve been cooking this cake for over 25 years, making minor modifications along the way. My latest variation is adding orange zest to the cream cheese frosting … and I wish I’d thought of that sooner! At the end of the day, carrot cake is just an excuse to eat cream cheese frosting, isn’t it? Try a cream sherry alongside - specifically Lustau East India Solera, a sweet but not cloying blend of Oloroso and PX aged in solera in the warmest part of the bodega, honouring the days when sherry was shipped as ballast from the East Indies to Europe.
Preheat oven to 180ºC.
Butter and flour a 23cm non-stick cake tin.
Sift flour, bi-carb soda, cinnamon and ginger into a bowl, add sugar, walnuts and carrot and stir to combine well.
Add egg and butter and stir to combine well.
Pour into cake tin and bake for 30-40 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Meanwhile, make Orange Cream Cheese Frosting: beat all ingredients together until soft and smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
Remove cake from oven and set aside in cake tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Spread frosting over the top of the cooled cake and serve in wedges.
The ideal temperature at which to serve a Cream is 12ºC. It may also be consumed as an aperitif, or as a cocktail served with ice and a slice of orange.
It is the ideal dessert wine; perfect to accompany fruit (melon, orange) pastries or ice-cream. It can also be paired very well with foie gras and blue cheeses.
Serve chilled, between 10 & 12º C.
Delicious with pastries and fruit, but also with the foie.
Serve in a white wine glass, or wide rimmed glass with ice.
