Set aside everything you ever thought you knew about carrot cake. The American version could not be more antithetical to Italian-style pastry: ultra-sweet, dense, slathered in cream cheese frosting. Now, before I go any further, lest you think I’m a carrot cake heretic, I’d like to offer my full support and advocacy for American carrot cake, which I’ve certainly posted on this blog. But this cake is just… not that. I saw a few Italian recipes some time ago for carrot “plumcake” that stopped me in my tracks. First of all, what was a plumcake, and what does it have to do with carrots?? I learned that the term ‘plumcake’ refers to a loaf-shaped cake in Italy, for reasons that I have yet to understand. A not-that-thorough Google search yielded zero clues as to why they use this name (no plums in sight), but it is, in fact, used to refer to cakes baked in a loaf pan, though it’s roughly pronounced ‘PLOOM-cake’.
Anyway, the recipes that I found showed a bright, sunny orange cake, fairly uniform in texture and color, not at all resembling its American cousins; my interest was piqued! However, at the time I never got around to trying one of the recipes, despite having picked up an Italian loaf pan on one of my past Italy trips, which is a bit longer and narrower than a standard American one. Fast-forward to now… I have schlepped my Italian loaf pan back to Italy now that I’ve moved here, and I’m so glad I did because I finally made this cake! Why now? Because at a café at the Florence train station, I had a tortino alle carote, which is basically a muffin version, and it was so very excellent that I knew it would be my first bake once my cake pans arrived from California (and I’ve now baked it several times since). Instead of being cluttered with spices, nuts, pineapple, or other mix-ins, this cake bursts with pure and simple carrot flavor, brightened ever more by citrus.
Lastly, we are now in full holiday mode, and while I posted a wholly other type of non-American carrot cake a few months ago, this one truly has no seasonal boundaries in my opinion. In fact, if I do say so myself, it’s an ideal palate cleanser for the 5 minutes allowed between pumpkin and gingerbread. Honestly, I could just as easily savor this on a chilly February day, in scorching July, or during the blossoming of spring. It is citrusy, fluffy, and just plain joyful any time of year!
A few recipe notes:
- The original recipe offers a couple of variations, namely that you can swap in lemon zest for orange, and use hazelnut flour instead of almond flour. By all means, if you prefer these, go forth. I personally like the combination of orange and almond flour alongside the carrot flavor, and I bumped up the citrus because it more closely approximated the delicious tortino alle carote at the train station. (And if you can get blood oranges with a dark peel, all the better!)
- The recipe calls for coconut oil, which I would recommend using because it lends a layer of warmth. However, she says that you can substitute neutral oil if you don’t want to use coconut oil here (though I did not try this).
- You can make this recipe as carrot muffins, similar to the infamous one above from the Florence train station. Simply use a muffin pan with cupcake papers and bake for 25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- I added a touch of pure vanilla extract, because that is generally a good life choice.
- A word about baking powder: Italian baking powder is called lievito and behaves differently than American double-acting baking powder. Being in Italy, I use the Italian kind, which comes in packets (I use Paneangeli brand) and is tinged with vanilla flavor. You can easily obtain it in the U.S. on Amazon or other online baking sources, and if you tend to do a lot of Italian baking, it’s not a bad idea to have some on hand in your pantry. If you’re using American baking powder, the original recipe calls for 1½ teaspoons.
- Preparing this recipe is forgiving if you don’t have all the tools. I don’t currently have a large food processor, so I split the wet ingredients (carrots, sugar, oil) equally into two batches and processed them in my mini chopper. It worked like a charm, and then I mixed everything together into one large bowl and proceeded with the recipe. Not hard, but I say this in case you feel deterred by not having a full-sized food processor.
I hope you enjoy this loaf-shaped ray of sunshine! It is perfect for a wintery morning, a picnic or beach snack, afternoon tea, or a potluck. Plus, if you want to bring something for a festive holiday occasion, and someone else is already bringing the requisite chocolate/peppermint/gingerbread/pecan dessert, it’s a lovely alternative. Or, you can simply tuck it away for next fall, when its vibrant orange hue fits perfectly with the autumnal colorscape; this cake is so versatile. Let me know how you think it compares with other types of carrot cake!
Plumcake alle Carote
Adapted from Tina’s Table
Serves 8-10
While I would always recommend using a kitchen scale in general, it’s especially important for European recipes, which tend to use weight rather than volume. I have added volume measurements below, but weight will be slightly more accurate.
- 250g (2 cups + 1 tablespoon) Italian 00 or all-purpose flour
- 50g (½ cup) cornstarch
- 50g (½ cup) almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 300 grams carrots, chopped or thinly sliced (about 3-4 medium carrots – weigh after peeling and trimming)
- 180g (¾ cup + 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 45g (scant ½ cup) neutral oil, such as sunflower or canola
- 45g (3 tablespoons) coconut oil, melted or very soft (see note above)
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature (labeled medium eggs in Italy)
- Zest of 1 large orange or 2-3 small oranges, preferably blood oranges with dark peel
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 whole packet of lievito per i dolci, such as Paneangeli (Italian leavener for desserts), or 1 ½ teaspoons American baking powder (see note above)
Preheat an oven to 350°F and set a baking rack in the center of the oven. Line an oversized loaf pan with a large piece of parchment paper so that it hangs over the sides. If working with a standard 9×5″ loaf pan, add a couple of mini loaf pans or wells of a muffin pan for the extra batter.
Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, almond flour, and kosher salt in a medium bowl.
Combine the chopped or sliced carrots, sugar, and oil together in a food processor (see the note above) fitted with the metal blade and process to a smooth puree consistency. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, scraping out every bit. Whisk in the coconut oil and orange zest, and then the eggs, one by one, whisking after each addition. Add in the vanilla with the last egg. Give the mixture a final stir to make sure everything is blended.
Gently fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula, being careful not to overmix.
Finally, add the lievito per i dolci or baking powder. The lievito is often a little clumpy coming out of the packet, so I sift it directly onto the batter, then stir.
Pour/scrape the bright orange batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a small offset spatula. Bake the plumcake for 45-60 minutes (mine generally takes about 55-57 minutes), until nicely golden on top and split open like a banana bread. Insert a wooden skewer into a few spots in the center, especially where it’s split, and if it comes out clean or with a very few moist crumbs attached, it’s ready. If you used a standard loaf pan and have also added mini pans for the extra batter, bake these for about 25-28 minutes.
Transfer the pan to a metal cooling rack and let the loaf cool for about 15-20 minutes, then pull it up and out of the pan using the overhanging parchment paper as handles.
Serve the carrot cake at room temperature or ever-so-slightly warm. It can be stored up to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
© Dafna Adler & Stellina Sweets, 2024.
