My friend Louise gave me a carrot cake recipe more than 20 years ago and I have added ingredients and made it a family favourite. It’s an excellent treat to take and share with your friends and colleagues at work and I can promise you they will ask for it again.
It is a favourite too for cake sales I can guarantee that it will be the cake that sells out first. It’s also part of your 5 a day with carrots, sultanas and nuts and is made with vegetable oil.Its a family favourite that I often make for family gatherings.
I need to thank Jo Wheatley for something that makes this recipe even more special it is the addition of an orange syrup that ensures the cake stays really moist.If you wish to lower the calories you might like to halve the amount of buttercream topping.
This recipe will make 16-24 pieces.
What you will need
A stand mixer if you have one, or an electric hand mixer but if you haven’t either of these then use muscle power and beat the mixture with a balloon whisk.
A rectangular shallow baking tin approximately 30cm x 23cm and at least 3cm deep lined with baking parchment that has been lightly greased with oil.
Or a round 20cm diameter deep baking tin lined and greased.
Ingredients
Orange syrup
Buttercream frosting
Pre heat the oven to 160C fan, 180 C conventional,
Gas Mark4
What you will need
A stand mixer if you have one, or an electric hand mixer but if you haven’t either of these then use muscle power and beat the mixture with a balloon whisk.
A rectangular shallow baking tin approximately 30cm x 23cm and at least 3cm deep lined with baking parchment that has been lightly greased with oil.
Or a round 20cm diameter deep baking tin lined and greased.
Ingredients
- 450g soft light brown sugar
- 375ml sunflower oil
- 5 large eggs ( 320g out of their shells)
- 225g self raising flour
- 14g ground mixed spice
- 2g ground cinnamon
- a pinch fine sea salt
- 380g grated carrot
- 185g pecans
- 120g sultanas
- Grated zest of one unwaxed orange, save the juice for the syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Orange syrup
- Juice of one whole orange
- 40g caster sugar
Buttercream frosting
- 200g unsalted butter
- 100g full-fat cream cheese
- 600g icing sugar
- Finely grated zest and juice of an unwaxed orange
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 120g of pecan halves, if you can find caramelised pecans ( like the ones from Trader Joes )
Pre heat the oven to 160C fan, 180 C conventional,
Gas Mark4
Method
Place the sugar and oil in the stand mixer bowl or your chosen mixing method and mix well until all combined and smooth.
Whilst the sugar and oil are combining break the eggs into a bowl and beat lightly.
Add the eggs slowly to the sugar mixture and beat until smooth.
Sift the flour, spices, salt and with a metal tablespoon fold into the oil mixture.
Fold in the grated carrot, pecans, orange zest, orange extract , vanilla extract and sultanas.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and tap the tin on the work surface to level off.
Place in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for 40-50 minutes.
Check the cake after 40 minutes,the cake should be golden and firm to touch, a skewer should come out cleanly if inserted in the middle of the cake. If you lift the cake to your ear it should hardly be making a sound , no crackling from any mixture still cooking inside the cake.
Whilst the cake is baking prepare the orange syrup .
Place the orange juice and sugar in a small pan , swirl the pan over the heat to help dissolve the sugar and bring to a steady boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the syrup is reduced by one-third.
When baked remove the cake from the oven and brush
with the warm syrup, place the tin on a cooling rack and leave in the tin to go completely cold.
Make the buttercream frosting by placing the butter and cream cheese in a bowl and beating until combined .
Add the the orange zest, juice and orange extract.
Add the icing sugar a desert spoon at a time until all combined, beat for 8-10 minutes until light and fluffy.
To decorate the cake spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cake and scatter the top with the pecans .
Place in the fridge for an hour to allow the frosting to harden a little before removing and cutting into pieces.
You may wish to serve the cake from the tray or you can store the cut pieces in boxes. If you cut a piece of baking parchment to cover the first layer you can stack the pieces 2 deep without spoiling the topping.
You can eat straight away or this Cake will keep week for a week in an airtight container or will freeze well for 2 months.
Place the sugar and oil in the stand mixer bowl or your chosen mixing method and mix well until all combined and smooth.
Whilst the sugar and oil are combining break the eggs into a bowl and beat lightly.
Add the eggs slowly to the sugar mixture and beat until smooth.
Sift the flour, spices, salt and with a metal tablespoon fold into the oil mixture.
Fold in the grated carrot, pecans, orange zest, orange extract , vanilla extract and sultanas.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and tap the tin on the work surface to level off.
Place in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for 40-50 minutes.
Check the cake after 40 minutes,the cake should be golden and firm to touch, a skewer should come out cleanly if inserted in the middle of the cake. If you lift the cake to your ear it should hardly be making a sound , no crackling from any mixture still cooking inside the cake.
Whilst the cake is baking prepare the orange syrup .
Place the orange juice and sugar in a small pan , swirl the pan over the heat to help dissolve the sugar and bring to a steady boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the syrup is reduced by one-third.
When baked remove the cake from the oven and brush
with the warm syrup, place the tin on a cooling rack and leave in the tin to go completely cold.
Make the buttercream frosting by placing the butter and cream cheese in a bowl and beating until combined .
Add the the orange zest, juice and orange extract.
Add the icing sugar a desert spoon at a time until all combined, beat for 8-10 minutes until light and fluffy.
To decorate the cake spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cake and scatter the top with the pecans .
Place in the fridge for an hour to allow the frosting to harden a little before removing and cutting into pieces.
You may wish to serve the cake from the tray or you can store the cut pieces in boxes. If you cut a piece of baking parchment to cover the first layer you can stack the pieces 2 deep without spoiling the topping.
You can eat straight away or this Cake will keep week for a week in an airtight container or will freeze well for 2 months.