Carrot Cake Rusks

Our rusk recipe series is bringing all the rusk love that we desire and extra centimeters around our waists, that we do not desire so much but I’m not stopping any time soon because I’m having a delicious blast.

Also, I have a rusk eBook dropping very soon so keep your eyes open on all my socials, it’s going to be a goodie! You’ll also be able to grab on my recipe blog so don’t worry you won’t be able to miss it.

Now, this carrot cake rusks recipe is part of a growing series that reimagines classic baked goods in a twice-baked, shelf-stable format. Rusks are a long-standing staple in South African kitchens, traditionally enjoyed dipped in coffee or tea. Known for their firm texture and extended shelf life, they are designed to be both practical and comforting, making them a natural candidate for adaptation.

Carrot cake, on the other hand, is defined by its moist crumb, warm spices, and the subtle sweetness of grated carrots. Bringing these two formats together requires a careful balance of structure and flavour. The goal is to retain the recognizable taste profile of carrot cake—typically featuring cinnamon, nutmeg, and sometimes nuts or dried fruit—while transforming it into a dough that can withstand the rusk-making process of baking, slicing, and drying.

This carrot cake rusks recipe focuses on achieving that balance without unnecessary complexity. The ingredients are familiar and accessible, and the method follows the standard rusk technique with slight adjustments to accommodate the higher moisture content associated with carrot-based batters. The result is a crisp, golden carrot cake rusks with a lightly spiced flavour and a subtle sweetness, suitable for everyday use.

As part of a broader rusk series that explores different flavour combinations and formats, this carrot cake version demonstrates how traditional recipes can be adapted without losing their core identity. It reflects both the versatility of rusks and the continued relevance of classic cake flavours in new contexts.

Carrot Cake Rusks

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Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Servings: 32 rusks

Author: The Big Tasty Bite

Equipment

• 1 23cm x 33cm baking tray

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Sponge

• 1 cup butter softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup carrots finely grated
• 1 cup walnuts roasted, separated, see note 1
• 3 cups flour cake or all purpose
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 2 tsps baking soda
• 1 tsp five spice ground
• 1 ½ tsps cinnamon ground

Cream Cheese Frosting

• ⅓ cup cream cheese room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 ½ tbsp milk
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• ⅛ tsp fine sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180℃/356℉.
• In a large bowl, whisk softened butter and sugar together until lighter in colour, about 2 minutes.
• Add the eggs and continue whisking for 1 minute. Note: the mixture will look like it's separating but this is normal.
• Add the grated carrots and 3/4 cup worth of roasted, roughly chopped walnuts. Note: remember to keep 1/4 cup worth of chopped walnut aside.
• Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground five spice and ground cinnamon. Combine the wet and dry ingredinets using a wooden spoon or strong spatula. Note: the dough can easily be handles with your hands so feel free to lightly mix it with you hands if using handle utensils becomes a bit difficult
• Press the dough into your baking tray using the palms of your hands or a soft spatula. Spread evenly. Bake for 35-40 minute or until it pulls away from the edges and it's golden brown in colour.
• Allow to fully cool before sectioning as desired. Slice into 32 rusks. Slicing the width and length in half and section section have that in half, repeating until you're left with 32 sections in total. Note: see the recipe video for reference.
• Line a tray with a wire rack. Gently lift each section with a knife or soffritto spatula and spread evenly onto the lined rack. Place in the oven at 90℃/194℉ with the oven doo ajar (I use a wooden spoon to keep it slightly open). Note: the rusks continue drying as they cooldown.
• Once they've fully dried and cooled down, you can mix all the cream cheese frosting ingredients together until smooth. Dip the surface of the dried rusk in the frosting and place on the drying rack. Sprinkle some of the remaining chopped walnuts on top, ensuring there are enough nuts for all the dipped rusks. Set the rusks aside and allow the frosting to fully set. Note: The more frosting you added on top the longer it'll take to dry.

Video

Notes

1. Walnuts: roasting walnuts is quite simple, just pop them on a baking tray or air fryer oven and bake in a preheated oven or air fryer for 10-15 at 180 degrees celsius. You know they're ready once they're fragrant and slightly darkened in colour. Be careful because nuts can burn very easily.