Carrot cake with frosting is one of our favourite cakes.
The recipe I prefer to use is one I found in Baking – Simple Cookery Series.
Each of the cookbook’s recipes are in an easy-to-follow layout with a trio of images illustrating different stages of preparation then a full-page sized photograph on the facing page of the finished item. There are also “tasty tips”, “food facts” or “helpful hints” distributed throughout.
The recipe is really easy – basically just mix all the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients then stir in the carrots and walnuts.
The accompanying icing recipe contains orange zest and juice which I’m not a big fan of, so I use the frosting recipe that goes with the “Luxury Carrot Cake” recipe that’s a few pages further on in the book.
It has a really good texture – moist yet light, with a hint of spice and the frosting adds a touch of decadence! Just one question I hear you ask, does the carrot count as one of my five-a-day?
Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 200 g/7oz plain flour
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 150 g/5oz dark muscovado sugar
- 200 ml/7 fl oz vegetable oil
- 3 medium eggs
- 225 g/8oz carrots peeled and roughly grated
- 50 g/2oz chopped walnuts
For the frosting
- 175 g/6oz cream cheese softened
- 50 g/2oz butter softened
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 225 g/8oz icing sugar sifted
- 1-2 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2, 10 minutes before baking. Lightly oil & line the base of a 15cm/6 inch deep square cake tin with greaseproof or baking paper
- Sift the flour, spices, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together into a large bowl
- Stir in the dark muscovado sugar and mix together
- Lightly whisk the oil and eggs together, then gradually stir into the flour & sugar mixture. Stir well
- Add the carrots and walnuts. Mix thoroughly, then pour into the prepared cake tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 1¼ hours, or until light & springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack. Reserve until cold
- For the frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla essence together until smooth, then gradually beat in the icing sugar until icing is smooth. Add a little milk, if necessary. Spread the frosting over the top. Refrigerate for about 1 hour to set the frosting, then cut into squares and serve