Upside Down Pecan Carrot Cake Pampered Chef Recipe

This is a new recipe which came with the ‘baby’ Rockcrok.  I have eaten it once before but not actually made it – until last night’s Pampered Chef party.  Well, I still didn’t actually make it – the guests did! – but I helped out here and there and saw just how easy it was.  The thing which impressed me the most was how easily it dropped out of the Rockcrok when I turned it out.  It just came straight out, absolutely no encouragement needed!!  Plus it tasted absolutely fab, not at all rubbery like some microwave cakes can be.  LOVED it!  Make it – you won’t regret it.

Upside Down Pecan Carrot Cake. Beautiful!

Ingredients

50g Butter
175g dark soft brown sugar
2 tbsp water
100g pecan halves
200g trimmed and peeled carrots
150g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 eggs
150ml sunflower oil

Method

1. Add butter, 50g of the sugar and water to Rockcrok Casserole (1.9l).
2. Put onto the hob on medium heat for 3-5mins or until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to bubble, stirring
continuously using Small Mix ‘N Scraper. Remove from heat and cool for 2 minutes.
3. Starting on the outside edge of the Casserole, carefully place about 85g of the pecans upside down, close together in a circular pattern, in brown sugar mixture. Set aside.
4. Coarsely chop remaining pecans in Food Chopper. Set aside.
5. Peel carrots using Vegetable Peeler and trim ends off using Paring Knife. Grate carrots using Adjustable Microplane Coarse Grater into a Classic Batter Bowl.
6. Zest orange using Microplane Zester directly into Batter Bowl.
7. Using Small Adjustable Measuring Spoon add baking powder, cinnamon, mixed spice to the Batter Bowl. Add remaining sugar, flour, and chopped pecans to the bowl and stir using Bamboo Spoon.
8. In Small Batter Bowl, whisk eggs and oil together using Stainless Whisk. Pour egg mixture into the carrot mixture, mix until well combined using Small Mix N Scraper. Spoon mixture carefully into Rockcrok and level surface.
9. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH for 7-9 minutes or until a wooden cocktail stick/ cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the sponge. The top will look quite moist and side shrunken away slightly. Remove cake from microwave to Stackable Cooling Rack. Let it stand, covered for 5 minutes, if you can resist the smell. Carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate. Serve warm or cold.

Upside Down Pecan Carrot Cake

This amazing cake is so delicious and moist and yet is cooked in a Microwave??!!  Now, before you back away from the recipe shaking your head in horror – please, please give it a go.  It just doesn’t taste at all like its been cooked in the microwave.  Honestly!

The main product used for this is a brand new one which is coming out in March (2015!) and is going to be fondly called the “baby Rockcrok” (or officially the 1.9ltr Rockcrok Casserole).  It may be that the Rockcrok actually helps in making this taste like it wasn’t cooked in a microwave – I haven’t tried it in anything else to compare it.  If, however, you try it out and don’t have (yet!) a Rockcrok please do let me know how it goes.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

50g butter
175g dark soft brown sugar, divided
2 tablespoons water
100g pecan halves, divided
200g trimmed and peeled carrots (prepared weight)
150g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 eggs
150ml sunflower oil

Method

• Melt butter, 50g of the sugar and water in baby Rockcrok (1.9lt) on hob over medium heat 3-5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to bubble, stirring continuously.  Remover Casserole from heat.  Cool for 2 minutes.
• Starting on the outside edge of the casserole, carefully place about 85g of the pecans upside down, close together in a circular patter, in brown sugar mixture.  Set aside.  Coarsely chop remaining pecans using Food Chopper; set aside.
• Grate carrots using Microplane Adjustable Coarse Grater into Classic Batter Bowl.  Add remaining sugar, flour baking powder, cinnamon, mixed spice, orange zest (easiest tool for this is the Microplane Zester) and chopped pecans to the grated carrot.
• In Small Batter Bowl, whisk eggs and oil together using Stainless Whisk.  Pour egg mixture into the carrot mixture; mix until well combined using Small Mix ‘N Scraper.  Spoon mixture into Casserole and level surface.
• Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 7-9 minutes or until cake tester or wooden cocktail stick comes out clean when inserted into centre of sponge (the top will look quite moist and sides shrunken slightly away).  Remove cake from microwave to Stackable Cooling Rack.  Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.  Carefully invert cake onto serving plate.  Serve warm (with or without cream!) or cold.

Microwave cooking times are tested using 900w microwave oven.  Please adjust according to suit your microwave oven.

 

 

Pampered Chef Fudgy Brownies with Apple Berry Salsa

These really are fudgy brownies and very, very simple.  As I made this at my show yesterday someone commented that I just ‘bang’ the recipe about and didn’t bother about “folding” and “light stirring” and “looking after all the air”.  It really isn’t needed with this recipe at all!!  The Salsa tastes absolutely fabulous with the brownies, especially when they are served warm!

My top tip for making the Brownies (this is true of all brownie recipes) – DON”T be tempted to keep them in the oven even if they don’t look totally cooked.  Its easy to ‘overbake’ brownies and end up with tasty but dry rather than fudgy brownies!!

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

 

Ingredients

• 225g (8oz) caster sugar
• 85g (3oz) self raising flour
• 40g (1½ oz) cocoa powder, sifted
• A pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp milk
• 115g (4oz) margarine (melted)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C / Gas 4. Spray bottom of Medium Bar Pan with vegetable oil using Kitchen Spritzer. For brownies, in Classic Batter Bowl, combine sugar, flour, coca powder and salt; mix well.
2. In Small Batter Bowl, whisk eggs and milk until blended using Stainless Steel Whisk. Add eggs and milk to flour mixture together with melted margarine; whisk until well blended and smooth.
3. Pour batter into bar pan; spread evenly using Small Mix ‘N Scraper. Bake about 25 minutes or until centre is set. Do not over-bake. Remove from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack; cool completely (or alternatively dive in whilst still warm!!!)

Makes 12 brownies

 

Apple Berry Salsa

This luscious salsa is the perfect accompaniment to chocolate brownies!

Ingredients

• 2 Granny Smiths apples
• 200 g / 7 oz strawberries
• 1 kiwi fruit
• 1 orange
• 2 Tbsp light soft brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp strawberry jam

Method

• Cut apples into quarters; chop using Food Chopper OR chop using Manual Food Processor.
• If using Manual Food processor add all other ingredients except strawberries (using Citrus Press to juice the orange) and lightly mix.
• Hull strawberries with the Cooks Corer and slice with Egg Slicer Plus.  Add strawberries to sales and serve with brownies.
• If using Food Chopper, add apple and all other ingredients except strawberries (using Citrus Press to juice the orange) to Small Batter Bowl and lightly mix using Small Mix ‘N Scraper.  Add strawberries and serve with brownies.

Serves 8 greedy people as a dessert or up 24 as a gentile taste!

Susie Evans
Independent Director for the Pampered Chef
07854 241575
http://www.pamperedchef.biz/susieevans
http://www.Facebook.com/Susie.PChef