This carrot cake is most likely the one from your dreams… it’s moist, flavourful, creamy and not too sweet (or at least I think so!). Like most of my recipes, it’s a fairly simple one if you’ve prepared all the ingredients prior to starting. We have our own reasons as to why we like and don’t like certain elements of a carrot cake and mine are pretty straight forward; it should be soft, loaded with aromatics, needs a crunchy elements like nuts and should be coated generously in a luscious cream cheese frosting – and this carrot cake recipe is just that!
You can make one large cake, cut it in half and fill it with the frosting and repeat all around and on top. You could also separate the batter into two baking tins (which is much easier – I just didn’t have any smaller tins available at the time). The most important thing to remember about this carrot cake, is that if you’re using a larger cake tin, and not separating the batter, then you’ll bake the cake for longer seeing ALL of the batter is being baked at once and the heat needs more time to transfer to the middle of the cake and cook the batter.
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Batter
- 270 ml milk
- 180 ml vegetable oil neutral taste
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla essence
- 160 grams light brown sugar
- 160 grams white sugar
- 1 tbsp orange zest approx. 1 medium orange
- 2 tsp fresh ginger finely diced
- 300 grams regular flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 300 grams finely grated carrot approx. 5 to 6 medium peeled carrots
- 100 grams toasted walnuts roughly chopped, separated
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 300 grams full fat cream cheese room temperature
- 300 grams butter softened
- 300 grams powdered sugar sifted to prevent lumps
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- Pinch of salt if using unsalted butter
Instructions
Carrot Cake Batter
- Preheat oven to 175℃ / 350℉ (no fan). Line a approx. 23cm springform pan or 2 x 15cm pans with butter or cooking spray and the base with baking paper.
- Add milk, oil, vanilla essence, both sugars, orange zest and fresh ginger together. Mix until well combined.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Add finely grated carrots and half of the walnuts and mix until well combined.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking tins. Bake for 1 hour 15minutes if using a 23cm baking tin. If you're baking in two smaller (approx. 15cm each) tins then you'll only need to bake the cakes for 40-45 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center of the cake to test the doneness. Once the toothpick is clean when removed, your cake is ready.
- Allow to cool before removing from the tin. Note: If using a larger tin, then you can cut the cake lengthwise and fill with cream cheese or you can keep it as is and cover with the frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the softened cream cheese and butter to a large bowl and whisk until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and continue whisking until smooth and fluffy. Add the vanilla essence and salt (if using) and continue to whisk until fully combined. Note: only frost the cake once it has been removed form the cake tin and has fully cooled down.
- If filling the cake, add about 1/3 of the batter inside, 1/3 around the cake and a 1/3 on tip. Fluff up the surface, creating some texture and finish off with the remaining toasted walnuts.
- Now, it's finally time to dig in a devour!