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Carrot cake

Carrot gives this cake natural moisture and the added spices, dried fruit and walnuts make it all-round delicious

  • Makes10-12
  • 55 mins
  • 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4

Emily's option

You can swap walnuts for pecan nuts if you prefer

Ingredients

  • Carrot cake
  • 250g carrots, grated
  • 230mL vegetable oil
  • 100g natural yoghurt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 orange, zested
  • 270g gluten-free self-raising
  • 330g soft light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg, finely grated (or 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg)
  • 1/2 tsp mixed spice
  • 100g sultanas or raisins
  • 100g walnuts, half roughly chopped and half kept whole
  • Icing
  • 100g butter, softened
  • 300g icing sugar
  • 100g full-fat cream cheese

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4. Grease and line the base and sides of two 20cm cake tins with baking parchment. Whisk the oil, yogurt, eggs, vanilla and orange zest in a jug. Mix the gluten-free flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg with a good pinch of salt in a separate bowl.

2 Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Now add the carrots, sultanas/raisins and the chopped nuts (50g). Mix together until fully combined.

3 Divide the mixture equally between the tins. Bake for 30 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If any wet mixture clings to the skewer, return to the oven for 5 mins, then check again. Leave to cool in the tins.

4 To make the icing, beat the butter and icing sugar together with an electric whisk until smooth. Add half the cream cheese and beat again, then add the rest (adding a little at a time prevents the icing from splitting). Remove the cakes from the tins and sandwich together with half the icing. Top with the remaining icing and walnuts. The cake will keep in the fridge for up to five days. Best eaten at room temperature.