The Deliciously Moist Carrot Cake Recipe combines fresh carrots, crunchy pecans, and sweet pineapple to create a moist, flavour-packed cake topped with rich cream cheese icing. Ideal for special occasions or a delightful everyday treat, this Carrot Cake is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Follow the easy steps for a bake that’s both simple and delicious, ensuring perfect results every time.
Ingredients
- 300g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 4 large eggs
- 350g caster sugar
- 230ml vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 480g carrots, grated
- 150g pineapple, chopped and drained
- 100g pecans, chopped and toasted
Cream cheese icing ingredients
- 200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 150g icing sugar
- 450g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
Instructions
- Set your oven to 170°C (gas mark 3). Prepare the tins by greasing two 22cm round cake tins and line the bottoms with non-stick baking paper.
- Place the chopped pecans in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Stir frequently for about 3-5 minutes, until they are lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from the heat and let them cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until thick and pale. I used my KitchenAid for this.
- Gradually pour in the oil a bit at a time while whisking, then mix in the vanilla extract.
- In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Fold the sifted dry ingredients into the egg mixture using a large spoon.
- Stir in the grated carrots, crushed pineapple, and cooled toasted pecans until everything is well combined.
- Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared tins, and smooth the tops. Place the tins in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the cakes are risen, springy to the touch, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cool, rap the cooled cakes in cling film and chill them in the fridge overnight if possible.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until it’s light, fluffy, and nearly white. This will take about 5 minutes. Gradually add the icing sugar to the butter, mixing at a low speed at first, then increasing to high for another 3-4 minutes.
- Soften the cream cheese with a spoon until smooth. Gently mix the softened cream cheese into the butter and sugar mixture until smooth.
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread a quarter of the icing on top. Place the second cake layer on top.
- Spread a thin layer of icing over the entire cake to seal in the crumbs. This will keep the icing looking nice and clean. Chill the cake in the fridge for 20-30 minutes until the crumb coat is set.
- Spread the remaining icing evenly over the top and sides of the cake and then chill the cake in the fridge for about 30 minutes until the icing is set.
Notes
Don’t worry about the pineapple if it’s not to your liking. It does sound a bit of a strange ingredient to pair with carrot, but I assure you, you won’t taste the pineapple, but you will notice how deliciously moist it makes this cake.
