There are many variations of this popular cake. Some people make it with oil, some with butter, others add nuts, raisins, etc. It took several trials before I arrived at my favorite recipe.
I make it with sunflower oil and a little olive oil because I like the flavor and instead of raisins, I grate an apple in it for extra flavor. I top it with a fantastic mascarpone cheese frosting that is lighter and less sweet than the classic Philadelphia-style cheese frosting.
The cake, of course, is delicious served plain, but I love that light “cloud” of sweetness in every bite.
My best-ever Carrot Cake
There are many variations of this popular cake. I make it with sunflower oil and a little olive oil because I like the flavor and instead of raisins, I grate an apple in it for extra flavor. I top it with a fantastic mascarpone cheese frosting that is lighter and less sweet than the classic Philadelphia-style cheese frosting. The cake, of course, is delicious served plain, but I love that light "cloud" of sweetness in every bite.
Ingredients
- 110 grams walnuts
- 320 grams plain flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 300 grams granulated sugar
- 100 grams brown sugar
- 250 ml sunflower oil
- 60 ml olive oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest from 1 orange
- 300 grams carrots, peeled & coarsely grated
- 1 apple, peeled & coarsely grated
- 250 grams mascarpone cheese
For the frosting
- 80 grams icing sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250 ml fresh cream
Instructions
- You will need 2 x 24 cm round pans. Butter their base and cover it with baking paper.
- Preheat the oven to 175°C.
- In a bowl sift the flour with the baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon.
- Place the granulated and brown sugar, vanilla, sunflower oil, olive oil and orange zest in a mixer bowl and beat on high speed to mix. Add the eggs one at a time and continue beating until well combined. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and beat on low speed until the ingredients are just incorporated. Finish with a spatula. Add the carrots, apple and walnuts and mix with a spatula until everything is combined.
- Divide the dough between the 2 pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and run a small spatula around the cakes to loosen them from the sides. Invert the cakes onto 2 flat plates. Remove the non-stick paper from their base and flip the cakes over and allow to cool completely. If you are planning to frost them the next day, wrap the cooled cakes in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Prepare the frosting. Put all the ingredients in the mixer bowl and beat for about 1 minute until the mixture starts to thicken. Do not over beat. Stop the mixer when the mixture is thick enough to spread.
- Place one cake on a serving platter. Spread half of the frosting on top. Place the other cake on top and cover the top with the remaining frosting. Decorate the cake as you like and chill it in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
You can make your cake three-tiered, using 3×20 cm smaller pans and dividing your dough and frosting accordingly.
