A classic carrot cake holds up well enough to be the centrepiece of any occasion. It can be a simple single-layer afternoon tea cake, or it can be stacked sky-high for a wedding.
This recipe is packed full of carrots, raisins and walnuts for a lovely crunch, while cinnamon will provide a heavenly aroma. The texture is dense yet soft, and topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting that will melt in your mouth.
Old-school cakes such as this may not sound very glamorous, but it warms the heart and feels like grandma’s hug.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 250g all-purpose flour
- 350g sugar
- 330g carrots, grated
- 120g walnuts, chopped
- 75g raisins (optional)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 medium eggs
- 225g vegetable or canola oil
- 50g milk
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
For the frosting:
- 100g full-fat cream cheese, softened but still cool
- 100g salted butter, softened but still cool
- 200g confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Food colouring (optional)
Note: The frosting ingredients are for a single-layer cake. Double it if you are making two layers.
Method
For the cake:
- Heat your oven to 170°C on conventional heating (no fan).
- Prepare one or two baking pans depending on how many layers you wish to make. Butter and flour the surface.
- Grate the carrots and chop the walnuts.
- In a large bowl, add the grated carrots, chopped walnuts, all-purpose flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Include the raisins if using. Mix evenly.
- Crack the eggs into a separate small bowl. Quickly scramble with a fork, then pour into the carrot and flour mixture. Stir.
- Add oil and mix thoroughly.
- Separately, add the baking soda to the milk. Stir until the baking soda has dissolved.
- Add the milk and baking soda mixture into the main batter. Stir thoroughly.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. For a single pan, bake for 60 to 70 minutes depending on your oven. If you wish to divide the batter into two portions to create a layered cake, bake for 45 to 50 minutes.
- Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
- Once baked, cool completely and top with cream cheese frosting.
For the frosting:
- Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, butter, and a couple of drops of food colouring (optional) on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Continue to beat until light and fluffy. The frosting should be soft but still be able to hold a shape.
- If you find the frosting too runny, pop it into the fridge for 10-15 minutes or add a bit more confectioners’ sugar.
- If you find it too thick, add a teaspoon of milk.
- Use a piping bag to decorate the cake with florets.
Tips:
- You can use a food processor on the carrots, but hand-grating makes a difference to the texture of your cake.
- Add chopped pineapple to the dry ingredients for added texture and sweetness.
- Swap out the walnuts for other nuts if you prefer, or remove them altogether if you have an allergy.
- Toast the walnuts beforehand for more crunch and flavour.
This article first appeared in butterkicap.com.
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