Carrot Cake

Name: Carrot Cake
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 2 h 20 min
Total time: 3 h
Cuisine: United Kingdom / United States
Ingredients: 300 g (2½ cups) all-purpose flour; 8 g (2 tsp) baking powder; 5 g (1 tsp) baking soda; 5 g (¾ tsp) fine sea salt; 6 g (2½ tsp) ground cinnamon; 2 g (1 tsp) ground ginger; 1 g (½ tsp) ground nutmeg; 4 large eggs (about 200 g without shells), at room temperature; 200 g (1 cup packed) light brown sugar; 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar; 240 ml (1 cup) neutral oil (sunflower or rapeseed); 10 ml (2 tsp) vanilla extract; 350 g (3 cups grated) carrots, peeled and finely grated (about 5 medium); 100 g (1 cup) walnuts, toasted and chopped, plus extra for decorating; 100 g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter, soft; 200 g (1⅔ cups) powdered (icing) sugar, sifted; 300 g (10½ oz) full-fat cream cheese, cold, block-style if you can find it; 5 ml (1 tsp) lemon juice

Spiced, moist two-layer cake with tangy cream cheese frosting

Makes: 1 two-layer cake (20 cm / 8 in)
Hands-on: 40 min
Total: 3 h
Level: Some skill

Plenty of grated carrot, oil rather than butter, warm spices, toasted walnuts and a properly tangy, not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting. It is a one-bowl batter, and the cake stays moist for days.

Ingredients

Cake

300 gall-purpose flour (2½ cups)
8 gbaking powder (2 tsp)
5 gbaking soda (1 tsp)
5 gfine sea salt (¾ tsp)
6 gground cinnamon (2½ tsp)
2 gground ginger (1 tsp)
1 gground nutmeg (½ tsp)
4large eggs (about 200 g without shells)at room temperature
200 glight brown sugar (1 cup packed)
100 ggranulated sugar (½ cup)
240 mlneutral oil (sunflower or rapeseed) (1 cup)
10 mlvanilla extract (2 tsp)
350 gcarrots, peeled and finely grated (about 5 medium) (3 cups grated)
100 gwalnuts, toasted and chopped (1 cup)plus extra for decorating

Cream cheese frosting

100 gunsalted butter, soft (7 tbsp)
200 gpowdered (icing) sugar, sifted (1⅔ cups)
300 gfull-fat cream cheese, cold (10½ oz)block-style if you can find it
5 mllemon juice (1 tsp)

Diet: Vegetarian
Allergens: gluten, egg, milk, tree nuts
Origin: United Kingdom / United States
Season: Autumn, Winter, Spring

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease two 20 cm (8 in) round cake pans and line the bases with baking paper.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a bowl.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with both sugars for 1 minute until smooth and slightly frothy. Whisk in the oil and vanilla until emulsified. 2 min
Fold in the dry ingredients until nearly combined, then fold in the carrots and walnuts until evenly mixed. Divide between the pans (about 700 g each).
Bake 30–35 minutes, until springy in the center and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely, about 1 hour. 1 h 15 min
Frosting: beat the butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer (or a wooden spoon and some energy) until pale and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add the cold cream cheese and lemon juice and beat on low just until smooth, about 30 seconds. Overbeating makes it runny. 4 min
Set one layer on a plate, top side down, and spread with a third of the frosting. Add the second layer, top side up, and spread the rest over the top and sides, or leave the sides bare for a rustic finish. Scatter with chopped walnuts.
Chill 20 minutes to set the frosting before slicing. 20 min

Why it works

Oil stays liquid at room temperature, so oil-based cakes feel moister than butter cakes, and carrots add both moisture and sugar as they cook. Brown sugar's molasses deepens the spice flavor and its acidity activates the baking soda. Beating cream cheese only briefly, and only when cold, stops it breaking down into a soupy frosting.

Common mistakes

Coarsely grated carrots, which stay crunchy and wet. Use the fine side of the grater.
Frosting a warm cake. The frosting melts and slides off.
Beating the cream cheese too long or using a tub spread; it turns runny.

Variations

Sheet cake: Bake in a 23 × 33 cm (9 × 13 in) pan for 35–40 minutes and frost the top only.
With raisins and pineapple: Add 75 g raisins and 100 g well-drained crushed pineapple with the carrots.

Make ahead and storage

Unfrosted layers keep 2 days wrapped, or freeze 2 months. The finished cake keeps 4 days in the fridge; bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

Fan oven: 160°C (320°F).