The Frog Commissary Cookbook Recipe – Carrot Cake

The Commissary and the Old Frog were two well known restaurants in Philadelphia back in the late 70s. My friend gave me one of their recipe books during my last visit in northern Virginia. I baked this carrot cake for Bud’s birthday.

The carrot cake is the Commissary’s legendary dessert which boast one of the richest fillings imaginable. It sandwiches layers of moist spicy cake laden with raisins and pecans, which are then covered in a tangy cream cheese frosting and finished with nuts.

This cake is most easily made if you start it at least a day ahead, since the filling, for one thing, is best left to chill overnight. In fact, the different components can all be made several days in advance and stored separately until you are ready to assemble the cake.

Pecan Cream filling

1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup of double cream
6 ounces unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

The above is totally optional, we did not make it as the cake is rich enough without this filling. Putting some of the cream cheese filling in the middle is sufficient.

Carrot Cake

1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
4 cups of carrots grated
1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1 cup of raisins (as some of us did not like raisins, we did not put them in the cake)

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces soft unsalted butter
8 ounces cream cheese (Philadelphia)
1lb icing sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Pecan Cream Filling

In a heavy saucepan, blend well the sugar, flour, and salt. Gradually stir in the cream. Add the butter. Cook and stir the mixture over a low heat until the butter has melted, then let simmer 20-30 mn until golden brown in colour, stirring occasionally. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in the nuts and vanilla. Let cool completely and then refrigerate, preferably overnight. If too thick to spread, bring to room temperature before using.

Method to Make Carrot Cake

Preheat the oven at 350f (180C)

Have ready 2 – 9 inch round tins lined with baking parchment

In an large bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, bicarbonate and salt. Sift half the dry ingredients into the sugar-oil mixture and blend. Alternately sift the rest of the dry ingredients while adding the eggs, one by one. Combine well. Add the carrots, raisins, and pecans. Pour into the prepared pans and bake for approx 40mn or until a tooth pick come out clean.

Cool on a wire rack. If you are not using the cake that day, remove from the pans, wrap well in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

Method to Make Cream cheese frosting

Cream the butter well. Add the cream cheese (Should at room temperature) and beat until blended. Sift in the sugar and add the vanilla. If too soft to spread,  chill a bit. Refrigerate if not used immediately, but bring to a spreadable temperature before using.

Assembly

Spread the filling on the layer (either the pecan cream filling or use some of the cream cheese frosting)

Spread the frosting over the top and side

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