250g of flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
320g of sugar (you can reduce the sugar to 280 – 300g)
120g of raisins
Zest of 1 orange
Zest of 1 lemon
2-3 medium-sized carrots (I’ve used both 2 and 3 carrots – there wasn’t much difference)
6 tbsp of oil
1g of cinnamon
1/12 cup of finely chopped or grated walnuts – optional
For the cream:
300g of cream cheese (I substituted with farmer’s cheese)
1/2 can of canned peaches
6 tbsp of powdered sugar (I didn’t add this because the farmer’s cheese was sweet enough)
400g of sour cream (a thicker, tangier version of sour cream common in Eastern European cuisine)
Optional – 200ml of heavy cream (30 – 36%) – this makes the cream much softer, although the farmer’s cheese cream is also very tasty.
For soaking the layers:
80 – 100ml of water
1 – 2 tbsp of sugar
2 – 3 tbsp of lemon sugar
Optional: 1 – 2 tbsp of cognac (or rum or fruit liqueur)
1. In a small bowl, mix the rinsed raisins, orange zest, lemon zest, grated carrot, and cinnamon – the aroma immediately reminded me of winter holidays.
2. Beat the eggs and sugar together with a mixer until a strong foam forms (the first time, the mixture stubbornly wouldn’t whip into stiff peaks, but the cake rose beautifully).
Add the prepared mixture of raisins and carrots, flour, and mix everything again.
Add the oil and gently mix. Pour the finished batter into a round cake pan and bake in the oven at 340-360°F for 40 – 50 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean – the original recipe called for 30 minutes at 300°F, but that wasn’t enough for my batter).
I baked the first cake in a 9.5-inch round pan, and the next day (for home use) I baked two 8-inch cakes.
3. Let the cake cool – it’s best to bake it in the evening and leave it overnight to settle. Cut it into 2 – 3 layers.
4. For the cream, whip the sour cream, cream cheese at room temperature, and powdered sugar until fluffy and smooth. If you’re adding heavy cream, it’s best to whip it separately and then gently fold it into the cheese mixture.
5. Remove any small pieces of the peach pit from the canned peaches – this usually happens, and cut them into small pieces.
6. On a cake stand, layer the cake, soaking it with syrup, adding cream, and pieces of peaches. Decorate the top as desired.
7. Leave it in the fridge for 12 – 24 hours. For those who aren’t fans of raisins, you can substitute them with finely chopped dried apricots or apples.