Carrot cake
This carrot cake is the new afternoon tea favourite. With the addition of walnuts, plus a crushed pineapple that will have everyone coming back for seconds.
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
For the carrot cake:
- 2 cups self-raising flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup caster sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cup of carrot, grated (approx 2 carrots)
- ¼ cup crushed pineapple (can swap for 1 grated apple or extra carrot if you don’t have pineapple)
- ¼ cup walnut pieces, toasted (optional)
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Oil, for greasing cake tins
For the cream cheese icing:
- 60g butter, softened
- 2 cups icing sugar, sifted
- 125g cream cheese, at room temperature
Optional:
- Salted Caramel Sauce for topping
Method
- Preheat oven to 170°C Bake. Grease and line the sides and base of two 20cm cake tins with baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, sieve together the flour, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In another large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer, beat the eggs with the caster sugar until pale and fluffy (around 5 minutes). Gradually pour in the oil while mixing, and beat until light in colour (around 5 minutes). Then add the carrots and pineapple (and walnuts, if using) to the oil and egg mixture. Gently fold through the flour mix. Warm the milk and stir in the baking soda, then fold through the cake batter.
- Divide the batter between the cake tins and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack.
- To make the icing, beat butter until pale and creamy. Then add 1 cup of the icing sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in the cream cheese, followed by the remainder of the icing sugar.
- To assemble, spread half of the icing on the top of one of the cakes, then place the other cake on top. Add the remaining icing on top. Using the back of a spoon spread the icing evenly and drizzle over caramel sauce, if using.
Recipe notes:
- You can easily customise this recipe to suit your taste! Swap the crushed pineapple for a grated apple or extra carrot for a different twist. Adding pineapple or apple keeps the cake moist and adds flavour. Apple gives added sweetness and pineapple gives it a slight acidity (reacts with baking soda to make your cake rise).
- If you prefer, you can replace the cinnamon with ginger for a slightly spicier flavour. And if you're not a fan of walnuts, feel free to leave them out entirely.
FAQs
- Do I need to peel the carrots? You don’t need to peel the carrots or apples, as the skins aren’t noticeable when baked.
- Why do I need to bake this cake in two tins? This cake is baked in two layers to shorten the bake time and save you from cutting it in half. To bake a single cake, increase the baking time by 10-15 minutes, depending on your oven.
- How long can I keep carrot cake for? Cake can be stored in a sealed container for 2-3 days at room temperature, and in the fridge for up to a week. You can freeze this for up to a month.
Recipe tips
- What is the key to a moist carrot cake? Oil, carrots and the addition of apple or pineapple.
- Can I use another type of flour? Plain flour with added baking powder can be used instead—substitute 1 ½ tsp of baking powder to 1 cup of plain flour.
- Can I use caster sugar instead of icing sugar? No, icing sugar is finely powdered sugar with added starch. Caster sugar will give you a gritty texture