Precious Art By Precious People

Ingredients

• Unsalted Butter, at room temperature, for greasing the pans
• All-purpose flour, for dusting the pans
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup full-fat plain yogurt (preferably not Greek yogurt)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, or 1 cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup water
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 cups coarsely grated carrot

 Lime Syrup

• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• Pinch of salt

 Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• Pinch of salt
• 4 cups (one 16 ounce box) confectioners’ sugar
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and side of two 9-inch round pans. Dust with flour to coat, then invert and tap out any excess.

Place the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and table salt in a large bowl and whisk together well to combine. Stir in the yogurt, butter water and eggs until moistened and no lumps remain (be careful not to overmix). Stir in the grated carrot. Divide the batter between the prepared pans.

Bake until the layers are evenly golden on top and a few moist crumbs cling to a skewer inserted in the center of the cake, 40 to 45 minutes. Coat the layers with lime syrup; pierce the cakes, still in their pans, at one-inch intervals with a skewer or a paring knife. This creates channels for the syrup to seep into the cakes. Then, pour or generously brush the syrup over the surface of the hot layers, dividing it between them as evenly as you can. Transfer the soaked layers (still in their pans) to a wire rack to cool completely. When they are cooled and are no longer wet to touch, one to two hours, carefully turn them out of their pans and assemble.

Combine the butter, cream cheese, salt and 2 cups of the sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the remaining sugar and beat on medium speed until the frosting is pale and no longer grainy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat until the frosting is very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Place one cake layer on a serving plate and frost top. Place next layer on top and frost top and sides. Decorate as desired.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com