Carrot Hazelnut Cake with Black Tea Cream Cheese Frosting

Those of you who have been stressing and sweating it out in the kitchen right up until the big meal, raise your hand. So, let’s pre-game our Easter menu, shall we? We all know from experience, it’s never too early to start planning any holiday menu. Let’s start right away with this Carrot Hazelnut Cake with Black Tea Cream Cheese Frosting

This dressed up carrot cake is all fancy flavors sporting hazelnuts, cream cheese and a spike of black tea flavor. Hazelnut flour adds a unique nutty flavor to the cake. Also, run of the mill ho-hum cream cheese frosting is infused with black tea flavor. Additionally, I revamped this cake from a German recipe. Consequently, like most German desserts, this cake is not too sweet.

For a sexier shape, make this Carrot Hazelnut Cake with Black Tea Cream Cheese Frosting in a brownie pan and frost it as a rectangle. I cut it in half lengthwise and stacked it into a two-layer deal. Consequently, the cake’s unusual shape makes for a little zshuz for your Easter menu presentation, Additionally, it has the bonus of being a space saver on your dessert table.

For all it’s fanciness, this cake takes about an hour and a quarter to pull off. Additionally, you can make it one day ahead of time. Just wrap the layers in plastic cling film and refrigerate along with the frosting. Then, assemble the cake the morning you expect guests.

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Carrot Hazelnut Cake with Black Tea Frosting

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Carrot Cake

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 12

Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

For the Carrot Hazelnut Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2+1/2 cups hazelnut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup sunflower oil
• 2 10 oz packages matchstick carrots

For the Black Tea Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 8oz packages of cream cheese
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 teabags bags of black tea
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions

Make the Carrot Hazelnut Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease and flour a 9 x 15 baking pan.
3. Place the carrots in a food processor or blender and chop into small pieces.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, nut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and set aside.
5. Beat the eggs together with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. until creamy.
6. Add the oil and beat until combined.
7. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
   
8. fold in the shredded carrots.
9. Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
   
10. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
    

Make the Black Tea Frosting:

1. Melt the butter.
2. Beat the melted butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy.
3. Let the mixture cool.
4. Add two tea bags to the boiling water and let steep for 5 minutes. Mix in the tablespoons of powdered sugar and let cool completely before adding to the butter and cream cheese mixture.

Assemble the Cake:

1. Cut the cake in half lengthwise.
2. Place one-half on a serving plate and spread one-half of the frosting over the top.
3. Place the second layer on top and spread the other half of the frosting over the top.
   
4. Rip open the remaining tea bag and sprinkle the tea over the top for decoration.

5. Cut and serve.

Like this Carrot Hazelnut Cake with Black Tea Cream Cheese Frosting? Here are some other Easter dessert recipe suggestions: