Why do I love this cake? Because it is so very easy to make and it is basically a great way to get some of your daily vegetable quota. You could add a small handful of coconut if you want for extra texture. It is amazingly moist, spiced just right and not too sweet and it will keep several days, although ours never lasts that long. The topping is not too sweet as I often find with cream cheese frosting, this one is light and the lemony yet creamy. Do give it a try. You will not regret it.
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients:
4 eggs
180 g / 6 oz light brown sugar
120 g / 4 oz / 1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon all spice
50 g / 1.7 oz butter, melted
125 g / 4.4 oz chopped almonds or hazelnuts
300 g / 11 oz carrots, grated
topping:
250 g / 8.8 oz / 1 cup mascarpone
25 g / 0.8 oz icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 180 C / 360 F
Butter and flour a 20 cm / 8″ round springform baking tin
Whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy
Add the flour, baking powder salt and vanilla extract and mix well
Add the cinnamon, ginger and all spice
Pour in the melted and cooled butter
Add the chopped nuts and mix until all well blended
Add the grated carrots
Pour the mixture into the pan
Bake for 1h to 1h 15
Leave to cool before removing from the springform pan
topping:
Whisk together the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice
Ensure the cake is completely cool before icing it
Spread the topping on the cake with a spatula
Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving (but can be eaten right away if you cannot resist)
Enjoy!
jppreaux said:
We love “carrot cake” but we don’t have the good recipe. Always disappointed…
Hoping that yours will be the One !!!
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Nadia said:
Oh, I do hope that this is the one for you.
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MELewis said:
Carrot cake is my absolute favourite. My recipe also adds pineapple which is nice, but perhaps means you would need to reduce the sugar. I love the mascarpone icing idea – will try next time!
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Nadia said:
If you use fresh pineapple then I would not reduce the sugar as pineapple can be quite tart.
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Mad Dog said:
I’m not a big cake eater, but you got me with the mascarpone 🙂
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Nadia said:
I thought it would be something different and it makes it a little less sweet.
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Ginger said:
This cake looks stunning! And thanks for the reminder that I can count it as one of my five-a-days…
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Nadia said:
That is a very important factor😂
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Osyth said:
I’m a carrot cake fan too …. my recipe adds coconut and I wouldn’t be without it mainly because I’m addicted to coconut. That frosting sounds fabulous …. lighter and tangier can only be a plus so I will certainly give it a whirl next time the carrot moves me to bake!
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Nadia said:
You can happily throw in a cup of coconut
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cupcakecache said:
Mascarpone is wonderful to use as frosting. When our store Cupcake Cache was still open, we served a stuffed gourmet red velvet cupcake with mascarpone on top. I designed the filling and the cupcake was called “dirty vanilla.” It was very tricky to have a consistent frosting which held and sold as well. I have a secret which I won’t share this time, but it was a great cupcake.
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Nadia said:
You will need to share that secret, I am intrigued.
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cupcakecache said:
Nadia, I was trying to post a picture for your readers but if they go to facebook and google “Cupcake Cache” and then put “dirty vanilla” under the search, it will come up. We whip up the mascarpone cheese gradually adding just a touch of confectioner’s sugar…a gentle touch and also some liquid sugar sweetner to keep the peaks formed by whipped. Then on top, we shaved black and white chocolate. Delicious. I will email you a picture.
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Nadia said:
Oohh! That sounds amazing.
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Sam said:
Salut Nadia! It’s Sam from San Francisco – nephew of Diana!! We love your recipes. Thank you for posting!!
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Nadia said:
Hi Sam, great to hear from you. So pleased you are enjoying them. Bisousa toutes la famille.
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cupcakecache said:
If you have an email, I can send you a photo if you want to post it for your readers. Let me know. Thanks. Even though we are closed, it is always nice to know that people can still appreciate a good cupcake.
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Nadia said:
Send to nadiakgraves@gmail.com or post on my Facebook page.
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cupcakecache said:
What is your facebook link? Is it under Maison Travers or it that another one?
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cupcakecache said:
I found it and posted a photo of our display.
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AverageSouthAfrican said:
Delicious. Now this I can try without the nuts right?
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Nadia said:
Yes, by all means.
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StefanGourmet said:
Looks great! Guess I’d make it without the frosting to keep it light, although I do like the idea of using mascarpone. Two years ago I posted a carrot and almond cake that includes orange juice instead of butter; even lighter.
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Nadia said:
In the US light carrot cakes are not popular at all, they are supposed to be rich and dense and have mountains of very sweet frosting. I prefer mine a bit lighter though.
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StefanGourmet said:
I hear you. And then they still claim it is a healthy cake because it has carrots…
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Nadia said:
Of course😃
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chefjulianna said:
Oh how lovely! I have bookmarked this one! 😀
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Nadia said:
Thanks. I am always trying out carrot cake recipes in search of the perfect one. This one is very good and I liked the lighter and not as sweet frosting.
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Karen said:
Looks yummy
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Nadia said:
It was! In fact, I am making it again this week at a friend’s request.
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louresa said:
Carrot cake is the best cake in this whole wide world! I 😍
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Nadia said:
I agree there!
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