Searching for the perfect carrot cake
I have been searching for the perfect carrot cake recipe for a very long time. An ideal carrot cake would be something like the individual cakes from Le Pain Quotidien, dark, moist and full of raisins and walnuts. I don’t like creamy, puffy sponge cakes, I can’t understand cupcakes and muffins, I dislike scones. But give me a moist, fruity cake, preferably made with almonds instead of flour and I am in heaven.
Tommy recommended the recipe from Rose’s Bakery cookbook Breakfast, Lunch, Tea so I used it as my base and tweaked it slightly, I also cross referenced it with my friend Kim’s recipe whose cake is delicious. This is what I came up with.
Carrot cake recipe:
7 large carrots, grated
4 eggs
125g caster sugar
100g muscovado sugar
300ml vegetable oil
150g flour
150g ground almonds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp all spice
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tbs baking soda
1/2 tbs salt
100g walnuts
100g raisins
Icing:
200g cream cheese
75g butter
30g icing sugar
juice of half a lemon
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Cream eggs, sugar and oil. In a separate bowl mix all the dry ingredients. Combine both and add grated carrots. Butter your baking tin and pour the batter in. Bake for about 1h or until the knife comes out clean.
Baking tip: I always keep butter wrappers in the fridge and use them to prepare baking tins.
Once the cake is baked, cool it well and prepare the icing by creaming the butter and cream cheese and adding the icing sugar and lemon juice till you have the perfect taste and consistency. Ice your cake, I have sliced it in half and put a layer of the icing in between but it is optional. If you fancy individual cakes, muffin tins are the best.
The cake is moist, fragrant and delicious, not the LPQ cake yet but close enough. I just need to keep adjusting the recipe and hopefully one day I will get there.
Tags: Carrot cake
November 22nd, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Yum, that carrot cake looks delicious! Carrot cake is one of my very favourite types of cake so I too am always seeking the perfect recipe. If you are ever in Hampstead do try the carrot cake at Gail’s Bakery on the Highstreet – I think it’s the best in London!
November 22nd, 2009 at 4:03 pm
seriously one of my fav cakes…really sneaky you ARE the new nigella.:))
November 22nd, 2009 at 4:04 pm
I would’ve suggested the same recipe as Tommy, I love the cake at Rose Bakery… think of all the lovely cakes you’ll have to sample in the search though… YUM!! Happy baking.
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:37 am
skirmishofwit: I have Gail’s in Clapham too but never tried their carrot cake, everything there is so nice so this is next on my list!
if jane: I only need to get some tight red cardis and grow my hair long, ha ha ha
read me: I will try to stick to Rose’s Bakery recipe next time and yes, the idea of sampling all the possible carrot cakes in making my mouth water!
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:03 pm
As I was reading your post, I was thinking about the cake from Rose’s too. It’s definitely the best carrot cake I’ve ever eaten and so well presented!
November 24th, 2009 at 10:49 am
I will definitely visit Dover Street Market soon for the cake!