Aug 1, 2009

Carrot Cake

This month's Sweet and Simple Bakes recipe is Carrot Cake. Initially, I was skeptical to try it because I have never tried adding any vegetables in cakes so far. But, I would say, this is one of the best cakes I have ever baked. It is packed with carrot and so full of vitamins. Who would say no to such a cake when it sooo good? I skipped the cream cheese frosting. The cake tasted great by itself. We had it with a dollop of cream cheese on top. 

Ingredients (Makes 12 servings)

180g (6½ oz) self-raising flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
Pinch of salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
½ tsp mixed spice (Pumpkin pie spice)
2 eggs
150 ml (5 fl oz) vegetable or sunflower oil
200g (7 oz) soft light or dark brown sugar
300g (11 oz) grated carrots
100g (4 oz) sultanas
75g (3 oz) walnuts, chopped (optional)

Cream Cheese Icing 
75g (3 oz) cream cheese
75g (3 oz) softened butter
125g (4½ oz) icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
For Decoration
Sprinkles or walnut halves - optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas mark 2. Sift all the dry ingredients into a bowl and leave aside. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, now add the oil, brown sugar, grated carrot, sultanas and chopped walnuts. Stir in all sifted dry ingredients and bring the mixture together with a wooden spoon. Turn into the prepared tin, smooth the top of the mixture and bake in the oven for 1 – 1¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely.

To make The Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter together in a bowl until combined. Add the vanilla extract, icing sugar and mix to combine. Using a palette knife, spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cake. Add the sprinkles or walnut halves if desired. Served cut into slices.

Changes I made to the original recipe:

Instead of the self raising flour, I used All-Purpose flour and two teaspoons of baking powder. I skipped the all-spice powder and added a pinch of cardamom and dry ginger. I replaced the sultanas with golden raisins.

Verdict: We had the cake along with tea topped with a little cream cheese and it was awesome. Am planning to serve it with some icecream tomorrow!

Check out my carrot muffins!

35 comments:

  1. Hi Divya, your carrot cake looks wonderful and so moist! I'm the same and can eat carrot cake with or without the frosting.

    Many thanks for taking part in this month’s Sweet and Simple Bakes and I do hope you will join us again :0)

    Best wishes Rosie x

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  2. They looks super yummy and cute..have seen the same in Rosie;s blog..would love to join them as well..keep rocking divya !!

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  3. Your carrot cake turned out great and I am so glad you loved it!

    Thanks for taking part and hope you will join us again.

    Maria
    x

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  4. Wow wat a delicious and flavourful carrot cake Divya! i missed this month challenge:(

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  5. cake looks very yummy and its one my favourites....

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  6. Great cake..isnt it ? Its my first time for a carrot cake too, but it turned out amazingly good...Good job there !

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  7. It's just too rare to meet someone who doesn't enjoy carrot cake. Just love it. Your loaf cake is perfect and the muffins adorable. Good job.

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  8. Divya your muffins look adorable with the cream cheese on top.

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  9. Yum, I love carrot cake, but I never do a cream cheese frosting, I always do some kind of sauce... Looks very good!

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  10. Your carrot cake and those carrot muffins look wonderful! Yummy!

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  11. Your cake looks so moist and wonderful and your muffins too...

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  12. Love the texture of carrot cake. looks so beautiful

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  13. Wow the cake looks wonderful! Yes the carrot cake tastes great without any frosting. It has wonderful flavours!

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  14. wow! that's soo yummy! my fav! Delicious dear!!

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  15. Beautiful cake Divya! I love carrot cakes!

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  16. Cake looks nice...never had carrot cake.

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  17. hmm.that looks superb.//new to me:)

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  18. loved the first pic! the cake looks mosit and soft... and the muffin version is very cute too!!
    tell me something, since we dont get self rising flour in india, cant we just use say 2 tsp of baking pwdr instead? it shud work in the same way na?

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  19. Carrot Cake looks lovely Divya! Muffins look cute too :-)

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  20. Hi Divya,

    This cake looks awesome and it also happens to be one of my favorite cakes. Starbucks used to carry these a long time ago and they were divine.

    Keem em coming!

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  21. wow it looks so delicious & tempting ......

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  22. a carrot cake is something that I am still hesitant to try...hope that day comes through soon...

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  23. love carrot cake myself too..i make it all the time, your recipe sounds good will give this a try next time

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  24. I will try this out soon..thanks for posting the recipe...looks delicious

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  25. Lovely looking cake!

    I made the cream cheese frosting this time for the bake but in general I don't bother and this cake is so moist that it really even need it.

    It does sound a little odd having a vegetable in a cake but it just works so well. You do wonder who sat there originally and thought "oh I know, I'll try putting some carrot in my cake" though! ;)

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  26. Carrot cake looks very yummy and moist Divya. Perfect with tea..perfect anytime!

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  27. Hi there. Cake looks great. Glad you've come round to the idea of vegetables in a cake!

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  28. Hi Divya
    few questions....i live in US
    180gm of flour is how many cups.....you have written 6 1/2 oz....is that weight or volume
    similarly 5 oz of oil is it weight or volume

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  29. @ Rupa,
    180 gm of flour is a little less than 1 cup. You can see the conversions here under dry measures http://www.calcul.com/measurement

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