Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
A generous two-layer carrot cake with grated carrot, juicy pineapple, cinnamon, coconut and walnuts, finished with tangy cream-cheese frosting between the layers and over the top and sides. Batch yield: One 20 cm two-layer cake, cut into 12 generous slices. One serving: 1 slice, approximately 180 g after baking, cooling and frosting. Allow approximately 4 hours 5 minutes from starting to slicing. Prep_minutes is the total non-oven elapsed time: 30 minutes preparing the cake, 120 minutes cooling, 20 minutes making the frosting and assembling, and 30 minutes chilling. Cook_minutes covers one 45-minute oven batch with both tins baking together. Oven preheating overlaps cake preparation, and the 45-minute butter and cream-cheese softening period overlaps the final part of cooling, so neither is counted twice. If the cakes are still warm after 120 minutes, extend cooling before frosting; oven performance may also change the baking time. Appliances: Oven large enough to bake both tins together; Electric hand mixer; Refrigerator. Equipment: Two 20 cm round cake tins, at least 5 cm deep; Baking parchment; Digital kitchen scales; Measuring jug; Can opener; Sieve; Vegetable peeler; Fine grater; Chopping board; Knife; Mixing bowls; Hand whisk; Flexible spatula; Cake skewer; Wire cooling racks; Palette knife; Cake plate; Airtight cake container. Allergens: Contains wheat flour, eggs, milk, butter, cream cheese and walnuts. Also contains coconut. Check packaged ingredients for any additional allergen or cross-contact declarations. Nutrition is estimated per one of 12 equal frosted slices. Storage: Keep the frosted cake covered in the refrigerator at 4°C or below for up to 4 days. Because of the cream-cheese frosting, limit cumulative room-temperature exposure, including softening, frosting and serving, to 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C. For a softer serving texture, take out only the slices needed about 15 minutes before eating. Freeze individually wrapped slices in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and eat within 24 hours.
205 min
Prep
45 min
Cook
12
Serves
604
Calories
Macros · per serving
7g protein
73g carbs
32g fat
Ingredients
For 12 servings
- 300 g Plain flour
- 8 g Baking soda
- 4 g Ground cinnamon
- 3 g Fine salt
- 3 large eggs Whole eggs
- 250 g Light brown sugar
- 125 ml Sunflower oil
- 125 ml Whole milk
- 5 ml White vinegar
- 200 g pineapple
- 60 ml pineapple juice
- 250 g Carrots, weighed after peeling and trimming
- 25 g Unsweetened desiccated coconut
- 60 g Walnuts
- 125 g Unsalted butter
- 250 g Full-fat block cream cheese
- 300 g Icing sugar
- 5 ml Vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 170°C/340°F conventional or 150°C/300°F fan. Position a rack centrally with enough space for both tins side by side. Line the bases and sides of two 20 cm round cake tins, each at least 5 cm deep, with baking parchment; no greasing is needed.
- 2
Peel, core and finely chop the pineapple; weigh 200 g. Measure 60 ml pineapple juice. Finely grate the carrots and roughly chop the walnuts. Stir the milk and vinegar together in a jug and leave for 5 minutes while you measure the remaining cake ingredients.
- 3
Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl, breaking up any lumps.
- 4
In a second large bowl, whisk the eggs and brown sugar until evenly combined. Whisk in the sunflower oil, followed by the milk mixture and pineapple juice. Stir in the pineapple, grated carrot, coconut and walnuts.
- 5
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Fold with a spatula just until no dry flour remains; the batter should be thick but pourable, with the carrot and nuts evenly distributed. Do not taste the raw batter because it contains uncooked flour and eggs. Wash hands and utensils after contact with raw batter.
- 6
Divide the batter equally between the prepared tins, approximately 825 g per tin, and level the surfaces. Bake both tins together for about 45 minutes, checking at 40 minutes. The centres should spring back lightly, and a skewer inserted into each centre should emerge without wet batter, although a few moist crumbs are fine.
- 7
Cool the cakes in their tins on wire racks for 15 minutes. Carefully turn them out, remove the parchment and leave upright on the racks for approximately 105 minutes more. Both layers must be completely cool, including underneath, before frosting.
- 8
During the final 45 minutes of cake cooling, cut the butter into small cubes and take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator. Let both soften in a cool kitchen: the butter should yield easily to a finger, while the cream cheese should remain cool but spreadable. This softening time overlaps the cake cooling.
- 9
For the frosting, sift the icing sugar. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter for about 2 minutes until smooth and pale. Add the icing sugar in three additions on low speed, scraping down the bowl; the mixture will be very thick. Add the cream cheese in two portions, followed by the vanilla, and mix on low speed just until smooth. Avoid prolonged beating, which can loosen cream-cheese frosting.
- 10
Place one completely cooled cake layer on a cake plate. Spread approximately 220 g of frosting evenly over it, then add the second layer. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Allow approximately 20 minutes total for making the frosting and assembling the cake.
- 11
Refrigerate the finished cake for at least 30 minutes to firm the frosting. Cut into 12 equal wedges with a clean knife, wiping the blade between cuts. Return portions that are not being served to the refrigerator.
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