Purple barley flour adds a sturdy backbone to sticky-sweet baked goods. It plays well with eggs and sugar like a regular pastry bad boy, but then sneaks around the corner and escorts cholesterol out of the body like a prime health food.
MAKES 1 (9-INCH, 3-LAYER) CAKE
For the cake
1 cup purple barley flour
1½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon cloves
1½ cups packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
¾ cup finely chopped pineapple, drained
2 cups grated carrots
For the frosting
16 ounces softened cream cheese
⅓ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
4 cups powdered sugar
Grease 3 (9-inch) round springform cake pans, line with parchment, then grease the parchment. Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, whisk together purple barley and pastry flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, then set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together brown sugar, granulated sugar, coconut and olive oils, eggs, and vanilla on high speed for 1 minute. Add flour mixture and beat slowly until combined, scraping down sides of bowl. Add pecans, pineapple, and carrots, folding gently.
Divide batter into cake pans and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely, then slide a knife around the outer edge and release springform sides. Put cakes in the freezer for 30 minutes for easy assembly.
To make the frosting:
In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Scrape down sides of the bowl and add cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat again until incorporated and scrape sides again. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until silky.
To assemble:
Trim cakes smooth and flat on top; reserve trimmings. Slide a knife under each cake to releasing them from the pan bottoms.
Remove parchment, place 1 on a serving plate, and cover with about ¾ cup of frosting. Add another cake and another ¾ cup of frosting. If your cake starts to sag in the middle, add some of the reserved trimmings to fill in the well. Add the last layer upside down for a crisp edge.
Frost the sides and top, then refrigerate for an hour before slicing.
Wine Pairing
2020 Rolly Gassmann Pinot Blanc
This is an off-dry Pinot Blanc, meaning it’s far more floral and full of robust fruity notes than a typical Pinot Blanc. An off-dry—or demi-sec as you’ll see labeled in French—is incredibly versatile. With Purple Barley Carrot Cake, you could certainly reach for something sweeter to match its sugary frosting, but the natural sweetness of the barley roots the cake in earthy flavors greatly complemented by this wine.
Available at Vino per Tutti, 315 E. Main St., Bozeman; $27
Recommendation by Norm Page, sommelier at The WineTrust, Bozeman.
