I’ve baked this carrot cake four times in the last few weeks with a few small changes to the recipe each time, but the second version was the most popular amongst my family and my favourite local firefighters. I was so pleased about this as it was my top choice too and that’s the version I am sharing with you here! I hope you’ll also love it just as much when you try it!
Ingredients:
- 160g finely grated carrots (3-4 medium)
- 85g apple
- 70g walnuts
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 180g granulated sugar
- 40g light brown sugar
- 155g oil (sunflower or veg)
- 190g plain flour
- 3g baking soda
- 8g of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- Pinch of salt
Decoration:
- 40g butter – softened
- 40g icing sugar
- 165g Philadelphia
- 15g chopped walnuts
Instructions:
- Grate the carrots, cut the apple into very small cubes and chop walnuts into small pieces too.
- Preheat the oven to 170C – no fan.
- Line the bottom of a 22cm round (spring form) tin with baking paper. Grease the sides of the tin with a little bit of butter.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, all the spices and salt in a bowl.
- Place the eggs, egg yolk and both sugars into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and whip together (medium to high speed) for about 2-3 minutes until it turns fluffy and light in colour.
- When the mixture is ready, turn your mixer to the lowest setting and slowly start pouring in the oil – it’s best to use a measuring jug to do this. Once you’ve added it all, mix for about a minute to let it all combine fully.
- Add the mixed flour with spices and baking soda.
- Add the grated carrots (remember to remove most of the excess juice just before adding them to the mixture, but reserve the juice for now). Add the prepared chopped apple and walnuts. Slowly start folding everything together using a spatula. After a few folds, I often add about a tablespoon or two of the reserved carrot juice back into the cake batter and fold a few more times until just combined. You don’t want to over-mix it. The batter will be thick.
- Transfer the cake batter into the prepared tin, even it out and bake for about 42-46mins – until a bbq skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool.
Cream cheese frosting:
- In a mixing bowl, place together softened butter and icing sugar, mix using a medium to high speed until smooth.
- While still mixing, start adding the Philadelphia a tablespoon at a time. You don’t need to wait between adding the next tablespoon in. After all the Philadelphia is added, mix for another 1-2 minutes until it’s all combined and smooth.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting on top of the cake using an off-set spatula and decorate the edges with chopped walnuts.
Happy Baking! 🙂
