Your go to cake recipe
For the cake itself, you’ll need:
- 350g grated carrot
- 113g self-raising wholemeal flour
- 113g plain wholemeal flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 0.5 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 237ml vegetable oil
- 170g soft brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
For the icing:
- 198g cream cheese (room temperature)
- 85g softened butter
- 85g sieved icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Once you have all of this assembled, it’s time to bake.
If autumn had a favourite dessert, it would surely be a classic, moist carrot cake. Whether you’re serving it with afternoon tea or enjoying it as a sweet breakfast treat, it’s an ideal dish.
Getting the recipe right though, is essential. Chewing into dry cake with bits of stringy carrot is a little less autumn vibes and a little more awful vibes. Sorry.
HuffPost UK spoke with Kathleen McShane, owner of Bavarian Bakehouse to ask for her secret to a perfect carrot cake and she very generously shared her recipe with us as well as a handy tip for getting the most out of your bake.
Carrot cake isn’t just about the sweet grated carrot and warm spices; it’s the balance of flavours that makes each bite deliciously unforgettable.
McShane said
We couldn’t agree more.
How to bake carrot cake
- Prep your base: Start by grating the carrots and setting them aside. Sieve the flours, spices, and bicarbonate of soda together, adding the bran back into the mix.
- Wet ingredients: In a separate container, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, golden syrup, and soft brown sugar until well combined.
- Mix it up: Fold the wet ingredients into the dry mix until smooth. Add the grated carrots (and nuts if you’re feeling adventurous!).
- Bake: Pour the mixture into lined cake tins and bake at 160°C for 60 minutes, checking for doneness after 50 minutes. Let it cool completely before icing.
How to make carrot cake icing
- Smooth and creamy: Mix the room-temperature butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Sweeten it up: Add the sieved icing sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until creamy.
- Decorate: Spread the icing generously over the top of your cooled carrot cake and decorate as desired.
The final tip from McShane is: “Let the flavours develop overnight for an even richer taste.”
But honestly, we won’t blame you if you dive in right away.