Spice of the Day: Cloves

Cloves cure toothaches, scent the closet, and repel moths, colonists looked to whole cloves for these things. They grow only near the sea, particularly in Zanzibar, Madagascar, and the West Indies. Their scent can be detected at sea even before land is sighted.

Carrot Cake

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup grated carrots (roughly 2-3 carrots)
• 1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple, liquid drained
• 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup raisins

Frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the carrot cake

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line the bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans (1 1/2 inches deep) with parchment paper then lightly grease with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together on medium speed the sugar, brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in the flour mixture on low speed then add in the carrots, pineapple, coconut, walnuts, and raisins (do not overbeat the batter or you may end up with a tough cake).
4. Divide the batter between the two cake pans and bake 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes then invert the cake pans. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For frosting and assembly

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and sugar until creamy and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add the buttermilk and vanilla then beat another 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
2. If the cake layers are not flat, trim some of the cake off of the top until flat. Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Slide pieces of parchment or wax paper underneath the cake for easy clean up later. Spread some of the frosting on top of the cake for the filling. Top with the remaining cake layer. Spread a thin layer of frosting all over the cake, sealing in the crumbs (don't use more than half of the frosting). Refrigerate 15 minutes.
3. Finish covering the cake with the remaining frosting. Carefully remove the paper pieces. Refrigerate until the frosting is firm. Store the cake covered in the refrigerator. For best results, let the cake sit at room temperature 15-30 minutes before serving.