Mini Carrot Cake Tortes

By jeaklor

"How cute!" is what you'll hear from guests when they spy these individual tortes. A rich cream cheese frosting is sandwiched between layers of moist cake. —Beatriz Marciano, Rockville, Maryland

Ingredients

• FROSTING:
• 2 English Breakfast or other black tea bags
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• Toasted chopped walnuts, optional

Details

Servings 15

Preparation

Step 1

•Place tea bags in a small bowl; add boiling water. Cover and steep
for 3-5 minutes. Discard tea bags; set tea aside. Line a 15-in. x
10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with parchment paper and coat the paper
with cooking spray; set aside.

•In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs, tea, honey, syrup and
vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking
powder, baking soda and cloves; gradually beat into sugar mixture
until blended. Stir in the carrots, walnuts and raisins. Transfer to
prepared pan (pan will be full).

•Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near
the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack; remove from
pan and discard paper.

•For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until
light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners'
sugar until smooth.

•Using a metal 3-in. round cutter, cut 15 circles from cake. Cut each
circle in half horizontally; place cake bottoms on a parchment
paper-lined baking sheet. Pipe frosting over each. Top with
remaining cake layers and frosting; sprinkle with walnuts if
desired. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 15 mini tortes.