Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Spiced, oil-based, properly carroty — and topped with the cream cheese frosting that actually pipes. The kind of cake that gets better the day after it is baked.
Plus 1h 30m cooling / chilling time
Method
- 1
Preheat the oven to 175°C (155°C fan / 350°F / Gas 4). Grease two 20cm (8-inch) round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
- 2
Whisk the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- 3
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, both sugars, oil, vanilla, and orange zest together until smooth and the sugar starts to dissolve into the wet mix — about 1 minute. The mixture should look glossy and slightly thickened.
- 4
Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two additions, folding gently with a spatula until almost combined — a few floury streaks are fine. Fold in the grated carrot, walnuts, and sultanas if using. Stop as soon as everything is evenly distributed; over-folding gives a tough crumb.
- 5
Divide the batter equally between the two tins (weigh after filling for even layers) and smooth the tops. Bake for 28–32 minutes, until golden, the tops spring back to a light touch, and a skewer in the centre comes out clean.
Bake30:00 - 6
Cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Leave to cool completely — at least 1 hour. Frosting a warm cake will turn the cream cheese frosting to soup.
Cool60:00 - 7
Make the cream cheese frosting (use a 1.5x batch of the recipe on cakeytops.co.uk). Place the flatter sponge upside-down on a stand or plate and spread roughly a third of the frosting evenly to the edges. Sandwich the second sponge on top, top-side up. Pile the remaining frosting on top and spread to cover, swirling with a palette knife. Sprinkle with extra chopped walnuts.
- 8
Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set the frosting, then bring to room temperature for 20–30 minutes before slicing.
Set frosting30:00
Baker's Notes
- •Grate the carrots yourself. Pre-shredded supermarket carrot is dry, coarse, and gives an unpleasant fibrous texture. Use the medium holes of a box grater for a fine, soft grate that disappears into the sponge.
- •Why oil? Oil makes a more reliably moist crumb than butter for carrot cake — butter sets firm in the fridge, where this cake is best stored. Sunflower or rapeseed are neutral; do not use olive oil.
- •Spice balance: cinnamon dominates traditional UK carrot cake, with nutmeg and a whisper of ginger for depth. For an "American" carrot cake, double the cinnamon and add ¼ tsp ground cloves.
- •Sultanas optional: traditionalists love them, others find them a distraction. Soak in a little orange juice or warm water for 10 minutes if your packet has been open a while.
- •Storage: refrigerate, well-covered, for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving so the cream cheese frosting softens. The unfrosted sponges freeze well for 3 months.
- •Traybake variation: bake the full quantity in a single 30×23cm (12×9-inch) tin at the same temperature for 35–40 minutes. Top with a single layer of frosting once cool — perfect for parties.
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