Description
A warmly spiced carrot cake with crunchy walnuts, bits of crystallized ginger, and a gingery cream cheese topping, perfect for tea time or dessert.
Ingredients
- 200 grams plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 175 grams soft light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 200 millilitres vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
- 200 grams carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
- 100 grams walnut pieces, roughly chopped or crumbled
- 75 grams crystallized ginger, finely chopped
- 100 grams unsalted butter, softened
- 100 grams icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornflour
- 100 grams full-fat cream cheese, cold
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, coarsely grated
- 25 grams walnut pieces, roughly chopped (for decoration)
- 25 grams crystallized ginger, chopped (for decoration)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C, or 150°C fan, and grease the sides of a 20 cm springform cake tin. Line the base with baking parchment.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, and salt until evenly combined.
- In a larger bowl, beat the brown sugar, eggs, and vegetable oil until fully blended.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix well. The batter may look stiff at this point.
- Stir in the grated carrots, then fold in the chopped walnuts and crystallized ginger until evenly distributed.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.
- Leave the cake to cool in the tin on a wire rack.
- For the icing, beat the softened butter and icing sugar until creamy. Add the cornflour, then beat in half the cream cheese, followed by the rest. Do not overmix.
- Squeeze the grated fresh ginger in kitchen paper to extract the juice, then beat the juice into the icing. Cover and chill.
- Once the cake is completely cold, let the icing sit for about 20 minutes until spreadable.
- Remove the cake from the tin, spread the icing over the top, and decorate with chopped walnuts and crystallized ginger.
Notes
- The batter is naturally thick before the carrots are added.
- Freshly grated carrots give the best moisture and texture.
- You can swap walnuts for pecans if preferred.
- The uniced cake freezes well for up to 3 months.
- The icing can be omitted for a simpler tea cake.
- Prep Time: 20 to 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 to 55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: International
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 390 kcal
- Sugar: 27 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
