- Peanut free
- Sesame free
- Soy free
- Shellfish free
- Seafood free
- Vegetarian
With a tender, moist texture and topped with a sublime cream cheese frosting, this sweet and spiced carrot cake recipe is set to become a family favourite.
- Serves12
- Cook time1 hour 30 minutes
- Prep time20 minutes, + 1 hour cooling time
Ingredients
- 2 cups (300g) self-raising flour
- 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3 free-range eggs
- 1 cup (220g) brown sugar
- 1 cup (250ml) light olive oil
- 4 medium carrots (480g), peeled, grated
- 1/4 cup (40g) coarsely chopped raisins
- 1/4 cup (30g) finely chopped walnuts, toasted
Cream cheese frosting
- 400g cream cheese, softened
- 50g butter, softened
- 2 cups (320g) icing sugar mixture
- 2 tbs lemon juice
Candied walnuts
- 1 cup walnuts, roasted
- 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
Nutritional information
Check ingredient labels to make sure they meet your specific dietary requirements and always consult a health professional before changing your diet. View dietary information here.
Percentage Daily Intake information on our recipes is calculated using the nutrition reference values for an average Australian adult.
Method
Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm (base measurement) round cake pan and line the base and side with baking paper.
Step 2
Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in a large bowl.
Step 3
Use an electric mixer to whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. With motor running, add the oil in a thin steady stream until combined. Sift over the flour mixture. Add the carrot, raisins and walnuts. Stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Lightly tap pan on bench to settle mixture.
Step 4
Bake for 1 hour 30 mins or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Lightly cover with foil if cake is browning too much. Set aside in the pan for 15 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 5
Meanwhile, to make cream cheese frosting, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Place in the fridge for 1 hour or until chilled and firm.
Step 6
To make the candied walnuts, line a baking tray with baking paper. Place walnuts and sugar in a small frying pan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins or until sugar just dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, without stirring, for 5 mins or until sugar is caramel in colour. Transfer to the lined tray and spread walnuts out in a single layer to cool and set.
Step 7
Use a large serrated knife to cut the cooled cake in half horizontally. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread evenly with half the frosting. Top with the remaining cake layer and spread with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle with candied walnuts.
Recipe tip
Omit the raisins and walnuts if you prefer a simpler carrot cake.
COOK. STORE. SAVE.
Use it up: Because of their high oil content, walnuts should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Use them in sweet or savoury recipes like a coffee walnut cake or sweet potato and walnut salad.
Smart swap: If you don’t have light olive oil you can use another neutral oil like sunflower or vegetable oil. Steer away from extra virgin olive oil as its flavour is too intense for this recipe.
Your search for the ultimate carrot cake recipe is over
Carrot cake seems to be an unlikely contender for ‘world’s best cake’, but oddly it is up there. Born out of necessity when sugar was rationed, some clever cooks discovered carrots were a cheap way of adding sweetness to baking. Cut to today where sugar lies abundant on supermarket shelves, yet the carrot cake remains to be one of the best crowd-pleasing cakes around. Not only do carrots provide sweetness, but they also add a load of moistness, especially when combined with oil. Using oil rather than butter helps create a loose and moist crumb and also means our carrot and walnut cake is dairy-free – simply swap the cream cheese icing for a dusting of icing sugar or a glacé icing.
Our versatile easy-to-make carrot cake can be baked in a slab pan for an everyday snacking cake or served as part of an Easter entertaining feast, birthday parties and more special occasions.
How to prepare carrot cake: tips for choosing the right ingredients
The amazing texture comes from selecting the right carrot cake ingredients. Butter and oil add different properties when baking. Butter means more flavour, yet oil adds more moisture. As we get plenty of flavour from the spices, we’ve opted for the lightness that oil contributes. We use brown sugar in our moist carrot cake recipe rather than white, as the molasses content means it contains more water, which stops the cake from being dry. As carrots are made up of around 90 per cent water, we’re getting extra liquid there as well. Choose carrots that are young as older ones tend to be woody and not as sweet. Carrot cake with cream cheese icing is up there as one of the best cake combinations – not only does its tangy, rich and creamy taste complement the earthy carrots, but it’s also easy to spread and strong enough to hold the extra layer of cake. Have an abundance of carrots? They can be used up in so many inspirational and easy carrot recipe ideas.
The essential kitchen gadgets you need
Use a balloon whisk to combine the dry ingredients. This is not only a simple way to remove any lumps, but it also aerates the mixture, leading to a lighter cake. Where butter cakes are made by creaming butter and sugar, in our spiced carrot cake we start by mixing the eggs with the sugar, which creates a foam that, when baked, turns into a lovely tender crumb. When carrots are chopped, the cells break open releasing their natural sugars. By using the coarse side of a box grater, the carrots are shredded releasing even more sugar. The method for how to bake this carrot cake is simple. Make sure the oven is the correct temperature and remember to bake a cake on the middle shelf.
How to make carrot cake muffins? Simply divide the batter among a greased 12-hole 1/3 cup (80ml) muffin pan and bake for 25 minutes.
FAQs
Carrot cake
- Serves12
- Cook time1 hour 30 minutes
- Prep time20 minutes, + 1 hour cooling time
Ingredients
- 2 cups (300g) self-raising flour
- 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3 free-range eggs
- 1 cup (220g) brown sugar
- 1 cup (250ml) light olive oil
- 4 medium carrots (480g), peeled, grated
- 1/4 cup (40g) coarsely chopped raisins
- 1/4 cup (30g) finely chopped walnuts, toasted
Cream cheese frosting
- 400g cream cheese, softened
- 50g butter, softened
- 2 cups (320g) icing sugar mixture
- 2 tbs lemon juice
Candied walnuts
- 1 cup walnuts, roasted
- 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
Description
With a tender, moist texture and topped with a sublime cream cheese frosting, this sweet and spiced carrot cake recipe is set to become a family favourite.
Method
Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm (base measurement) round cake pan and line the base and side with baking paper.
Step 2
Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in a large bowl.
Step 3
Use an electric mixer to whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. With motor running, add the oil in a thin steady stream until combined. Sift over the flour mixture. Add the carrot, raisins and walnuts. Stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Lightly tap pan on bench to settle mixture.
Step 4
Bake for 1 hour 30 mins or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Lightly cover with foil if cake is browning too much. Set aside in the pan for 15 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 5
Meanwhile, to make cream cheese frosting, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Place in the fridge for 1 hour or until chilled and firm.
Step 6
To make the candied walnuts, line a baking tray with baking paper. Place walnuts and sugar in a small frying pan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins or until sugar just dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, without stirring, for 5 mins or until sugar is caramel in colour. Transfer to the lined tray and spread walnuts out in a single layer to cool and set.
Step 7
Use a large serrated knife to cut the cooled cake in half horizontally. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread evenly with half the frosting. Top with the remaining cake layer and spread with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle with candied walnuts.