Ingredients
Units
Scale
for the orange carrot cake:
- 2/3 cup olive oil, plus more for greasing pan
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon McCormick Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Ground Cloves
- 1 1/2 cup grated carrots
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Orange Extract
- 1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
for the candied citrus
- 1 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup water
- zest of 2 oranges
for the cream filling
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 teaspoon McCormick Pure Orange Extract
for serving
- 8 amaretti cookies or almond biscotti, crumbled
- McCormick Ground Cloves, for garnish
Instructions
- First, make the carrot cake. Preheat oven to 325. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper, then lightly coat paper and sides of pan with a little olive oil.
- Beat oil and sugars well, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Whisk in flour with baking powder, soda, salt, cloves, and cinnamon, then blend gradually into sugar mixture. Stir in carrots, zest, both extracts, and walnuts.
- Pour into prepared cake pan. Bake for 35 min. or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool 10 minutes, then turn out of pan and let cool on a baking rack. When the cake is cool, use your hands to crumble the cake into bite-sized chunks.
- While the cake is baking, make the candied citrus. In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes until very syrupy. Let the zest cool in the syrup, then remove to a paper towel-lined plate and let dry. Zest will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.
- Make the cream cheese filling: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a separate bowl, rinse out the mixer bowl, then combine cream cheese with confectioners sugar, orange zest, vanilla extract, and orange extract. Beat until light and smooth, then fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
- Assemble the trifles: In 6 serving dishes, layer a few cake crumbles, then top with a dollop of the cream cheese filling and a few cookie crumbles. Repeat with another layer of cake and cream, then top with candied orange zest. Eat!