Simple Carrot Cake
This simple carrot layer cake is filled and topped with smooth cream cheese icing. One of my most popular cakes with friends and family!
Equipment
- 2 20cm round baking pans/sandwich tins
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 Medium mixing bowl
- 1 small mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Spatula
Ingredients
Carrot cake layers
- 230 g plain flour
- 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder level
- 1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp mixed spice
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 230 g light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 150 g pecans, chopped can be substituted for walnuts, raisins etc, or can be left out altogether
- 3 medium eggs room temperature
- 220 ml sunflower or vegetable oil
- 240 g grated carrots grated weight
Cream cheese icing
- 100 g unsalted butter room temperature/softened
- 250 g full fat cream cheese icing room temperature/softened. I use Philadelphia cream cheese
- 380 g icing sugar sifted to remove lumps
Instructions
Carrot cake layers
- Preheat your oven to 170°C/150°C fan.
- Grease and line two 20cm sandwich/baking pans with butter/non-stick spray and baking paper.
- To your large mixing bowl add the plain flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, mixed spice, nutmeg, salt, light brown sugar and chopped pecans. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- To your medium bowl add the eggs and oil.
- Whisk to combine and pour into your large bowl of dry ingredients.
- Finally, add the grated carrots to the large bowl and mix with a spatula until evenly combined. Try not to overmix as this can make the cake heavy in texture.
- Pour the cake batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans and level with a spatula if necessary. Bake the cakes for around 25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean.
- Place the cake pans on a wire rack to cool. You can carefully remove the cakes from the pans after 5 minutes and place on the wire rack to cool more quickly.
Cream cheese icing
- To a smaller bowl add the butter, cream cheese and sifted icing sugar.
- Beat with a wooden spoon or spatula until smooth and creamy with no lumps.
- Chill in the fridge for around an hour to allow the icing to firm up before assembly.
Assembling the cake
- Place one cake on your chosen cake stand/serving plate. Add half the cream cheese icing on top and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Carefully place the second cake on top.
- Add the remaining cream cheese icing and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Decorate the top of the cake with whatever decorations you like, or you can keep it plain! I like to use these little carrots for my carrot cakes 😊
- This carrot cake is best stored in the fridge, but allow it to come to room temperature before serving. Eat within 5 days.
Notes
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