Five-Spice Carrot Cake with Lychee Buttercream

1.Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

2.In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, Chinese five-spice powder, and ground cinnamon until well combined.

3.In another bowl, mix the vegetable oil, eggs, grated carrots, chopped water chestnuts, crushed pineapple, and vanilla extract until smooth.

4.Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix.

5.Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops with a spatula.

6.Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

7.While the cakes are cooling, prepare the lychee buttercream. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy and smooth.

8.Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until incorporated, then increase to medium speed until fluffy.

9.Add the lychee puree, heavy cream, and vanilla extract to the buttercream, mixing until well combined and smooth. Adjust the consistency with more cream if needed.

10.Once the cakes are completely cooled, place one layer on a serving plate. Spread a generous layer of lychee buttercream on top.

11.Place the second cake layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining lychee buttercream. Decorate as desired with additional lychee fruit or edible flowers.