I quite like buying a slice of carrot cake here or there, but I’ll be honest with you… up until last weekend, I had never tried to make it. It seems quite silly now because it is such an easy cake to throw together, and I have since ascertained that freshly made carrot cake is simply spectacular. Eating it while the inside is still magnificently moist and before the cream cheese frosting has hardened is another experience indeed and one which I recommend you all try.
My sister and her husband visited us last Sunday for morning tea with one of her two kids (the other was attending the never-ending roadshow of birthday parties that seem to happen when you have young kids). I had happily negotiated that if they came to us I would bake a cake for morning tea. After a speedy acceptance from my sis, we quickly got to discussing the cake I should make that would appeal to all. Bored of chocolate desserts (I know, it’s difficult to understand) we ran through the non-chocolate options and settled on a carrot cake. A lover of nuts I had to include something a little nutty, and with a macadamia nut allergy to consider I decided on pecans.
On the day, they arrived a little late which meant I had enough time to cool and frost the cake before they landed on the door step. As we all sat down to esspressi and some lovely wide slices of cake we got to chatting. A few moments later I noticed that everyone had polished off their carrot cake in record time – always a good indication that it was well enjoyed.
Seriously tasty and easy to make, you’ll find the recipe for the cake below because I know you’ll want to try it soon. It has a few ingredients but you pretty much throw it all together and throw it in the oven.
Carrot and Pecan Cake
Serves 8
CAKE
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups grated carrots (about 7-8 carrots)
1 cups chopped pecans
ICING & DECORATION
250g cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup icing sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup chopped pecans for decoration
CAKE
Preheat oven to 180° Celsius.
Beat sugar and oil together in the bowl of an electric mixer for 3 minutes. Gradually and the eggs and vanilla essence and mix well. Sift in flour, baking powder, bicarb soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and mix until well combined, then add grated carrots and pecans stirring until just combined.
Pour cake mixture into a 22cm springform pan lined with baking paper and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set aside until cool.
ICING & DECORATION
Place cream cheese, sifted icing sugar and lemon juice in a medium bowl and beat until smooth. Spread cream cheese icing on the cooled cake, sprinkle with chopped pecans and serve!
Nice cake! I love the addition of pecans. I love carrot cake and make it all the time. It also freezes well which is always nice 🙂
That looks sensational Amanda! I adore a good carrot cake…and those pecans are a nice touch! Bravo!
I could never say no to a good wedge of carrot cake. Good on you for mastering it the first time!
It is hard to believe you're bored with chocolate, but I actually understand – occasionally some variety is nice. And you chose a terrific cake. Everyone likes carrot cake, and the pecans are such a nice addition. Great job decorating, better job with the pictures! Good stuff – thanks.
I love carrot cake & pecans! Your photos are so good 🙂
They make me want to make this cake so bad, but it will have to wait till I get a break in spring classes.
I must admit I've always been put off my carrot cake because I thought it was difficult to make, but apparently not according to your recipe! Bookmarking this baby and have to give this a try. You make it look jaw droppingly delicious! 😉
I love how you topped the frosting with more pecans… gorgeous cake!
Up there with my fav cakes of all time despite being such a mainstream choice. And so easy to convert (successfully) to GF too.
Gorgeous looking cake Amanda. Would you believe that carrot cake was the first cake I made in home economics!
I love carrot cake, especially with cream cheese icing!
Lovely crumb on here Amanda!
I've never combined carrots and pecans in a cake before so I'm a little curious about this one. Let's just hope what baking skill I have is enough to cook up one even close to that.
My recipe is better :)))