Carrot Cake
By The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
Published on 15 March 2022
Another bestseller at the Hummingbird, this carrot cake is moist and full of flavour. You can vary how finely you chop the nuts for the sponge, and pecan nuts or walnuts can be substituted freely. For an extra-special touch, decorate the top with mini carrots – these can either be formed by hand using sugar paste or piped on using orange buttercream frosting. Looking for more cake recipe inspiration? Look no further. Time and servings
45 minsTotal time
20 minsPrep time
25 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 300 g of soft light brown sugar
- 300 ml of sunflower oil
- 300 g of plain flour
- 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, plus extra to decorate
- 0.5 tsp of ground ginger
- 0.5 tsp of salt
- 0.25 tsp of vanilla extract
- 300 g of carrots, grated
- 100 g of shelled walnuts, chopped, plus extra, chopped and whole, to decorate
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3.Step 2
Put the sugar, eggs and oil in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat until all the ingredients are well incorporated (don’t worry if the mixture looks slightly split). Slowly add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt and vanilla extract and continue to beat until well mixed.Step 3
Stir in the grated carrots and walnuts by hand until they are all evenly dispersed. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tins and smooth over with a palette knife. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown and the sponge bounces back when touched. Leave the cakes to cool slightly in the tins before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.Step 4
When the cakes are cold, put one on a cake stand and spread about one-quarter of the Cream Cheese Frosting over it with a palette knife. Place a second cake on top and spread another quarter of the frosting over it.Step 5
Top with the last cake and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Finish with walnuts and a light sprinkling of cinnamon.