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Easy carrot cake

• Cassie Best

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Serves 10-12

Easy

Prep: 35 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Plus cooling

A star rating of 4.4 out of 5.644 ratingsRate

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Top this classic carrot cake with moreish cream cheese icing and chopped walnuts or pecans. Serve as a sweet treat with a cup of tea any time of the day.

Freezable (un-iced)

Vegetarian

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Cassie's tips for the perfect carrot cake:

• I like to use freshly grated carrots rather than pre-prepared ones, as they tend to be juicier and give the cake a moist texture. Finely grating them also helps them blend evenly into the sponge.
• Carrot cake is a great make-ahead bake. I often make the sponge a day in advance, then add the frosting just before serving. In fact, I find the flavours develop even more after a day or two. This cake also keeps well if you store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to five days after making.
• For an extra citrusy twist, try stirring a little finely grated orange zest into the cream cheese icing. It lifts the flavour and adds a fresh note.

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

• 230ml vegetable oil

  plus extra for the tin

• 100g natural yogurt

• 4 large eggs

• 1½ tsp vanilla extract

• ½ orange

  zested

• 265g self-raising flour

• 335g light muscovado sugar

• 2½ tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ fresh nutmeg

  finely grated

• 265g carrots

  (about 3), grated

• 100g sultanas

  or raisins

• 100g walnuts

  or pecans, roughly chopped (optional)

For the icing

• 100g slightly salted butter

  softened

• 300g icing sugar

• 100g soft cheese

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Nutrition: Per serving (12)

• kcal680
• fat37g
• saturates8g
• carbs78g
• sugars61g
• fibre3g
• protein8g
• salt0.6g

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Method

• step 1

  Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line the base and sides of two 20cm cake tins with baking parchment. Whisk the oil, yogurt, eggs, vanilla and zest in a jug. Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg with a good pinch of salt in a bowl. Squeeze any lumps of sugar through your fingers, shaking the bowl a few times to bring the lumps to the surface.

  

• step 2

  Add the wet ingredients to the dry, along with the carrots, raisins and half the nuts, if using. Mix well to combine, then divide between the tins.

  

• step 3

  Bake for 25-30 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If any wet mixture clings to the skewer, return to the oven for 5 mins, then check again. Leave to cool in the tins.

• step 4

  To make the icing, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add half the soft cheese and beat again, then add the rest (adding it bit by bit prevents the icing from splitting).

  

• step 5

  Remove the cakes from the tins and sandwich together with half the icing.

  

• step 6

  Top with the remaining icing and scatter with the remaining walnuts. Will keep in the fridge for up to five days. Best eaten at room temperature.

  

Cassie Best

Cassie is our Head of Food. After training as a chef at Leiths School of Food and Wine, she's worked for Good Food for the last 13 years, creating hundreds of recipes, including many you see on the cover of the magazine. She has a passion for creating easy family meals that everyone can cook and also loves to bake with her two children. See more of Cassie's recipes

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A star rating of 4.4 out of 5.644 ratings

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