carrot cake
- ½ cup (125ml) grapeseed oil or vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1¼ cups (300g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (300g) firmly packed grated carrot (about 3 carrots)
- 1¾ cups (260g) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup (125g) plain thick yoghurt
- 1 cup (100g) walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
cream cheese frosting
- 500g cream cheese, chopped and softened
- ⅔ cup (110g) pure icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
- ¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Lightly grease and line the base and sides of 2 x 20cm (8 inch) round cake tins with non-stick baking paper+.
- Place the oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 8 minutes or until well combined and thick. Add the carrot and stir through.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger over. Add the nutmeg, yoghurt and walnuts and stir to combine.
- Divide between the prepared tins and bake for 35–40 minutes or until just cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool in the tins for 15 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cakes are cooling, make the cream cheese frosting. Place the cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until smooth.
- To assemble, place one cake on a cake stand or plate and spread with half the cream cheese frosting. Top with the remaining cake and frosting, and serve. Serves 10–12
COOK’S NOTE
+ We used Glad to be Green® Compostable Brown Paper.
Photography: Chris Court
© DONNA HAY GROUP
