DessertsSouth African DessertsDurban Indian

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake is my absolute favourite of all cakes. It’s simple yet so delicious with the best of flavours.

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By DenisiyaPublished on August 25, 2020
Carrot Cake
⏱️
Prep Time25 mins
🍳
Cook Time65 mins
⌛
Total Time90 mins
🍽️
ServingsMakes 1 Cake
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This Recipe Makes 1 Cake

Carrot Cake is my absolute favourite of all cakes. It’s simple yet so delicious with the best of flavours.

Basically, a carrot cake has shredded/grated carrots that is mixed into the batter, adding nuts is optional but I find it adds so much of flavour & texture to the cake so I definitely recommend adding them in as well. Other recipes call for pineapple as this makes the cake moist but trust me, it isn’t needed in this recipe because it is already super moist.

Cream cheese or Mascarpone is always a must as a frosting for carrot cake. It adds the perfect amount of decadency to this yummy cake.

🥗

Ingredients

Scale:
Base Yield: Makes 1 Cake
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Step-by-Step Instructions

39 Steps
  1. Step 1

    Firstly, preheat the oven to 160° Celsius.

  2. Step 2

    Sift the all-purpose flour.

    Step 2 visual guide
  3. Step 3

    Lightly crush the 100 grams of walnuts so that they are a bit chunky.

    Step 3 visual guide
  4. Step 4

    Add the all-purpose flour into a mixing bowl.

    Step 4 visual guide
  5. Step 5

    To the flour, add in the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda & the salt.

    Step 5 visual guide
  6. Step 6

    Add in the ginger powder & the Allspice. If you do not have Allspice on hand, simply grind a few cloves, some nutmeg & cinnamon sticks until it’s in a powder form.

    Step 6 visual guide
  7. Step 7

    Finally, add in the lightly crushed walnuts.

    Step 7 visual guide
  8. Step 8

    Give it a good mix & set aside.

    Step 8 visual guide
  9. Step 9

    Peel, rinse & cut off the bottom ends of the carrots.

    Step 9 visual guide
  10. Step 10

    Using the finer side of the grater, grate the carrots & set aside.

    Step 10 visual guide
  11. Step 11

    To another mixing bowl, add in the castor sugar.

    Step 11 visual guide
  12. Step 12

    Crack in the eggs.

    Step 12 visual guide
  13. Step 13

    Pour in the vegetable oil & the vanilla essence.

    Step 13 visual guide
  14. Step 14

    Mix until well combined.

    Step 14 visual guide
  15. Step 15

    Add the grated carrots to the wet mixture.

    Step 15 visual guide
  16. Step 16

    Mix well.

    Step 16 visual guide
  17. Step 17

    Add the dry ingredients (flour mixture) into the wet ingredients.

    Step 17 visual guide
  18. Step 18

    Mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated but do not over mix as this will make the cake dense.

    Step 18 visual guide
  19. Step 19

    Grease a 18 cm baking/cake pan.

    Step 19 visual guide
  20. Step 20

    Pour the cake batter into the greased pan.

    Step 20 visual guide
  21. Step 21

    Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes at 160° Celsius. Stick a skewer/toothpick into the cake & if it comes out clean then the cake is done. If there is still batter on the skewer/toothpick, put the pan back into the oven for 5 minutes.

    Step 21 visual guide
  22. Step 22

    Allow the cake to sit in the pan & cool for 10 minutes.

    Step 22 visual guide
  23. Step 23

    After 10 minutes, remove the cake from the pan & set it onto a cooling rack.

    Step 23 visual guide
  24. Step 24

    Allow the cake to cool completely.

    Step 24 visual guide
  25. Step 25

    In the time being, make the frosting.

  26. Step 26

    Make sure that the butter is at room temperature.

    Step 26 visual guide
  27. Step 27

    Add the Cream Cheese to a mixing bowl.

    Step 27 visual guide
  28. Step 28

    Add in the butter.

    Step 28 visual guide
  29. Step 29

    Next, add in the icing (confectionery) sugar.

    Step 29 visual guide
  30. Step 30

    Finally, add in the lemon juice.

    Step 30 visual guide
  31. Step 31

    Mix well until smooth & creamy.

    Step 31 visual guide
  32. Step 32

    Once the cake is completely cooled, carefully cut it in the middle, making them two halves.

    Step 32 visual guide
  33. Step 33

    On the bottom half, add some of the Cream Cheese frosting.

    Step 33 visual guide
  34. Step 34

    Smother the frosting evenly.

    Step 34 visual guide
  35. Step 35

    Thereafter, place the top half of the cake over the frosting.

    Step 35 visual guide
  36. Step 36

    Spread the remaining frosting over the top of the cake.

    Step 36 visual guide
  37. Step 37

    Sprinkle whole or lightly crushed Walnuts over the the frosting.

    Step 37 visual guide
  38. Step 38

    Slice & serve the delicious Carrot Cake.

    Step 38 visual guide
  39. Step 39

    If you enjoyed these Carrot Cake, you may also enjoy these varieties of cakes.

Video Tutorial

Watch How It's Made

Follow along with Denisiya's step-by-step video guide for Carrot Cake.

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Frequently Asked Questions & Cooking Tips

Expert kitchen guidance and troubleshooting for making the best Carrot Cake

How should I store Carrot Cake to maintain freshness?

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 to 2 weeks. For milk-based sweetmeats like burfee or soji, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 7 to 10 days.

Can I substitute butter with margarine or oil?

Pure butter or ghee provides the authentic rich aroma and texture characteristic of traditional Indian sweetmeats and bakes. Margarine can be used in a pinch, but butter delivers superior flavor.

Denisiya - Founder & Chef at EatMee Recipes
About the Creator

Meet Denisiya

Hi, I'm Denisiya! Food lover, recipe developer, and founder of EatMee Recipes. I specialize in authentic South African Durban Indian cuisine, comforting curries, and modern Instant Pot adaptations. Every recipe on this site is tested in my personal kitchen to ensure you get mouth-watering, foolproof results every time.

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