Carrot cake: moist, with walnuts and cream cheese frosting
A cake made with oil, not butter, which is why it is still moist on the third day. Plenty of finely grated carrot, cinnamon, walnuts and a thick cream cheese frosting. The batter is mixed with a whisk and a spatula, no mixer; about 35 minutes of work.
Your own work in that: 35 min.
- Batter 25 min
- Baking 55 min
- Cooling 90 min
- Frosting 10 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneGrate the carrots, chop the walnuts
Heat the oven to 170 °C. Line the tin with paper. Grate the carrots on the fine side: finely grated carrot melts into the crumb and gives moisture, coarse stays in pieces. Chop the walnuts roughly.
Ingredients: 300 g carrots · 3 pcs eggs · 180 g sugar · 180 ml rapeseed oil · 250 g plain flour · 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda · 1 tsp baking powder · 2 tsp ground cinnamon · ½ tsp salt · 100 g walnuts
Fine grater, walnuts roughly choppedWhisk the eggs with sugar and oil
Whisk the eggs with the sugar for 2 minutes, until the mixture lightens. Pour in the oil and whisk into a uniform, thick emulsion.
Pale, thick egg and oil mixtureMix the dry ingredients
In a second bowl mix the flour, bicarbonate, baking powder, cinnamon and salt thoroughly, so the bicarbonate is evenly spread and leaves no bitter pockets. Bicarbonate together with baking powder gives a tall, fluffy cake.
Dry ingredients mixed separatelyCombine
Tip the dry ingredients into the wet and fold with a spatula only until combined; a few streaks of flour may remain. Add the carrot and walnuts, fold briefly. Long mixing makes a dense cake.
TipThe batter is thick, not runny. Good: the carrot releases juice in the oven.
Carrot and walnuts folded in brieflyBake
Scrape into the tin and level. 170 °C, conventional, middle shelf, 50–55 minutes (a 20 cm round tin: 45 minutes), until a skewer comes out dry. If the top darkens too fast, cover with foil after 35 minutes.
In the loaf tin, ready for the ovenCool completely
10 minutes in the tin, then on a rack until completely cold, at least 1½ hours. Frosting on a warm cake melts.
Make the frosting
Beat the soft butter with the icing sugar until fluffy. Add the cold cream cheese and lemon juice and mix briefly, just until combined. Over-beaten cream cheese turns runny.
Ingredients: 200 g full-fat cream cheese · 60 g butter · 100 g icing sugar · ½ pcs lemon, juice · 30 g walnuts
TipSoft butter, cold cheese. That temperature difference gives a frosting that holds its shape.
Thick frosting, holds its shapeFrost and serve
Spread the frosting thickly on top and sprinkle with walnuts. Keep the cake in the fridge but slice after 20 minutes at room temperature. Moister every day, up to 5 days.
A thick layer of frosting, walnuts on top
Before you start
Without walnuts
Swap for raisins (60 g, scalded) or leave out. Pecans are more classic, but pricier.
With pineapple
100 g tinned pineapple in small dice, well squeezed. The American version, moister still.
Without frosting
The cake is complete on its own: dust with icing sugar and serve with tea. It then keeps at room temperature.
