Digest: dilly cake and smoked carrot ice cream

Made to honor a friend whose wedding I could not attend, this cake and ice cream combo is intended to inspire the palate. Adapted from my recipe over on Edible Alaska for sorrel cake. This dill cake frosted with mascarpone meyer lemon frosting with tomatillos and served with smoked carrot ice cream is a dinner in itself— a perfect party for the mouth.

For the cake (makes 2 six inch cakes):

• 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 4 cups packed dill

• ½ cup neutral oil

• ¼ cup aquafaba

• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 3 cups flour (I used 1 cup fava and garbanzo flour, 1 cup almond flour, ½ cup coconut flour, and ½ cup sorghum flour)

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1½ teaspoons salt

• 1 ½ cups milk

• 4 thinly sliced tomatillos for assembly

Method

1. Line four 6 inch cake pans in parchment. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a bowl combine flour, baking soda and powder, salt. Whisk well.

3. In a high powered blender, blend together the vinegar, dill, oil, aquafaba, vanilla, and sugar until smooth.

4. Add the dill blend to the dry ingredients. Slowly add in milk, one half cup at a time. Mix until well-combined.

5. Pour into pans and bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting with the frosting (below). When frosting, place sliced tomatillos between layers for a piquant bite.

For the frosting

• 1 Japanese sweet potato

• juice and zest of two meyer lemons

• 3 tablespoons agave

• 8 oz mascarpone

• pinch salt

Method

1. Microwave sweet potato for 7 minutes until fully softened and let cool.

2. Using an immersion blender or in a cuisinart, blend all ingredients until smooth.

For the ice cream

• 1lb peeled and steamed carrots

• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika

• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

• pinch salt

• ¼ cup maple syrup

• 1 cup kefir

• 3 tablespoons Amalga Distillery whiskey

Method

1. Smoke carrots in your wok.

2. Using an immersion blender combine all ingredients until smooth. The whiskey will help the ice cream maintain a nice mouthfeel. If you omit, replace with 3 tablespoons of maple syrup.

3. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.