Carrot Cake with Blueberry Preserves, Blueberry Milk Crumbs, and Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot cake

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons whole milk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup turbinado sugar

3/4 cup canola oil

2 1/4 cups finely shredded carrots (from about 8 medium carrots)

Blueberry milk crumbs

3/4 cup nonfat dry milk

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 ounces (1/2 cup) white chocolate

35 grams freeze-dried blueberries (I got these at Trader Joe's and used the entire package)

Blueberry preserves

1 pint (~2 cups) fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed orange juice

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Cream cheese frosting

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup confectioners sugar, sifted

Special equipment

6" cake ring

Two 4" x 20" pieces of acetate

7" cardboard cake round

All of these are available at cake supply stores

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Carrot cake

Heat oven to 350 F and a place a rack in the middle of the oven.  Line a 9" x 13" pan with parchment (butter or lightly oil the bottom of the pan, place the parchment on top, then grease and dust with flour) and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.

Add the eggs, milk, vanilla, granulated sugar, and turbinado sugar to a large bowl and whisk for 30 seconds.  Add the oil and whisk until well-combined.

Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.  Add the shredded carrots and mix until combined.

Pour the batter into the pan, then bang the pan a few times on the counter to remove any air bubbles and level the batter.

Bake until the top is light golden and a toothpick comes out with a few small crumbs attached, about 25 minutes.  Let the cake cool fully in the pan.  Run an offset spatula around the edges of the cake and turn it out onto a wire rack, then peel off the parchment.  Set the cake aside.

The cake can be made several days ahead and stored in the refrigerator wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

Blueberry milk crumbs

Lower the oven temperature to 200.

Combine 1/2 cup of the dry milk, flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl.  Stir in the melted butter until all of the dry ingredients are absorbed.  Transfer the mixture to a small sheet pan and bake, stirring every few minutes, until the milk crumbs are light golden brown, about 12 minutes.

A few minutes before the milk crumbs are done, melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl (I did this in two 25-second bursts and stirred well after the second round).  

Transfer the milk crumbs to a medium bowl.  Add the remaining 1/4 cup dry milk to the bowl and stir well to combine.  Add the melted white chocolate and stir well.  Put the bowl in the fridge and stir the mixture every 5 minutes.  Once the white chocolate has solidified, break up any large pieces into pea-sized chunks.

Pulverize the freeze-dried blueberries either in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.  Add the powdered blueberries (about 5 tablespoons) to the milk crumbs and mix well to combine.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Blueberry preserves

Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until 2/3 of the berries have burst and the mixture is thick, about 10 minutes.  Transfer the preserves to a small bowl and set aside.

Cream cheese frosting

Add the cream cheese to a medium bowl and beat well until very smooth.  Add the butter and vanilla and beat well until incorporated.  Add the sugar and beat until combined.  Set aside.

Assemble the cake

Use a 6" cake ring to cut two circles out of the carrot cake.  For the first circle, position the ring so that the right side is in the center of the cake and the bottom edge is nearly flush with the bottom edge of the cake.  Cut the second circle similarly, with the left side of the ring at the center of the cake.  Use a large offset spatula to transfer the two cake rounds to a wire rack.  Cut a crescent shape out of the remaining cake by positioning the ring above one of the cut out circles, with the top edge of the ring aligned with the top edge of the cake.  Cut another piece of cake, this time with the bottom edge of the ring aligned with the top edge of one of the cut out circles.  (See this tutorial in the Washington Post for some tips on cutting the cake rounds and assembling the cake.)

Wipe the ring clean, then center it on a 7" cardboard cake round set on a small plate  Line the ring with one of the acetate strips.  

Place one cake round in the bottom of the ring and press it so that it fits snugly.