Close your eyes. When someone calls out a word to you, you have to say the first thing that pops into your head in response. Ready?
The word is: CAKE.
What did you think of first? Birthday/ anniversary/chocolate/vanilla/ coffee?
None? Well, alright then.
However, I am fairly certain you didn’t think carrot. Yes, that’s right, carrot. The long, thin, orange vegetable with a leafy top that grows in soil, also infamously known to be the favorite food of Bugs Bunny.
A cake made from a vegetable–just perfect (sense the sarcastic tone here). To say the least, that was my reaction to the thought of a carrot cake. I still remember my first bite of said cake. Back when I was living in Vancouver, a few friends and I walked in a dessert shop that had a range of cakes and pastries on display. What caught my eye was a distinct orange-colored cake with cream-colored filling and frosting. You can pretty much guess what that was. It just looked so delicious that I couldn’t fathom how (and why) it was made of carrots. Fighting a mental battle with myself for about 60 seconds, I caved (to myself!) and ordered a slice.
There are a few moments in life when your world and everything you know about it comes to a standstill, and almost instantly, reforms your life. This was one of those moments. Shout out to True Confections for converting me to a carrot cake lover.
Fast forward several years, and here I was–in Toronto–craving a slice of THAT carrot cake. Sadly for me, there is no True Confections to go to. Kicking in my go-to alternative, I set to work finding and experimenting to discover the best carrot cake recipe there is. Complete with a crunch in every bite, this super moist cake with the lightest cream cheese frosting is perfect for any occasion. And I mean, ANY occasion. Whether you’re entertaining guests, need a “healthy” birthday cake, or a slice to go with your tea, the possibilities are endless. (Cue in cliche.) Want to know another incredible point–you can make this recipe to fit a one-layer round cake, a loaf cake or even cupcakes!
Recipe
Cake Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp corn flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- ½ cup plain yoghurt (I typically use Greek)
- ⅓ cup oil (avocado/grapeseed is ideal; canola will also do)
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2-2 ½ cups shredded carrots
- 1 cup chopped nuts (pistachios, walnuts and pecans)
Icing ingredients
- 4 tbsp cream cheese (room temperature)
- ½ tbsp butter (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar (less if desirable)
- Chopped nuts for garnish
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F. Grease and line baking pan (5”x13” loaf pan or 8” round cake pan) or muffin pan, if baking cupcakes.
- In a bowl, sift and whisk together all the dry ingredients and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and oil until a smooth ribbon is formed.
- Add eggs, the vanilla extract and yogurt one at a time. Whisk thoroughly.
- Mix in the shredded carrot and chopped nuts.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients and fold into the wet batter until incorporated. Don’t overmix.
- Bake for 35-40 min, or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let cool completely, and prepare the icing in the meantime.
- Beat together cream cheese, softened butter and vanilla extract. Add in the powdered sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until desired taste is achieved.
- Once the cake is properly cooled, frost as desired and top with chopped pistachios and other nuts.
