Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
A moist, spiced British carrot cake full of grated carrot and walnuts, finished with rich cream cheese icing. A timeless teatime favourite.
A good carrot cake is all about a moist, warmly spiced crumb under a tangy cream cheese topping, and this one hits the mark. Plenty of grated carrot and chopped walnuts keep it tender, it stays fresh for days, and it tends to be the bake people quietly ask you to write down for them.
Jump to recipe
Prep 25 min
Cook 75 min
Total 100 min
Easy
Scale:
- 450ml Vegetable Oil
- 400g Plain Flour
- 2 tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda
- 550ml Sugar
- 5 Eggs
- ½ tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 500g grated Carrots
- 150g Walnuts
- 200g Cream Cheese
- 150g Caster Sugar
- 100g Butter
Nutrition (per serving)
875
kcal
9g
Protein
84g
Carbs
58g
Fat
Estimated per serving. How we calculate this.
Tags:
Cake Treat Sweet
Preparation
- Heat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3 and grease and line a 26cm/10in springform tin.
- In a bowl, mix all the cake ingredients except the carrots and walnuts until well combined, then fold in the carrots and walnuts.
- Spoon into the tin and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Let it sit in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
- While it cools, beat the cream cheese, caster sugar and butter together until fluffy, then spread over the top of the cold cake with a palette knife.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Grate the carrots on the fine side so they soften right into the crumb and keep things moist.
- Once the flour goes in, stir only until it disappears. Beat it too hard and the cake turns tough.
- Wait until the cake is stone cold before you frost it, otherwise the cream cheese slides straight off.
- If you have a spare ten minutes, toast the walnuts first for a deeper, nuttier taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually too much flour or too much mixing. Measure carefully and fold gently for a lighter, moist crumb.
Of course. Drop the walnuts altogether, or swap in raisins or sultanas if you still want a bit of texture and sweetness.
The cream cheese frosting means it needs the fridge. Let slices sit out for a bit before serving so they soften.
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