Carrot cake is one of those recipes that have been all time favourites list! It’s a very popular item in the families recipes books and, if you “google” it , you will find many variations of the old-classic recipe . In this post , I would like to share with you my take on it: a spiced up version with a kick of heat!
The main difference among the many versions of carrot cake recipes is the combination of fruits, nuts and spices. I have read recipes indicating the use of pineapple instead of the classic raisins, five spices instead of nutmeg and/or cinnamon. Others suggest to use pecan over walnuts and so on.
Over the years, I have used myself several recipe variations . It has evolved to to what I dare to call my ultimate carrot cake recipe : My carrot cake is spiced up with cinnamon, cloves and freshly grated ginger. I love pairing cinnamon and cloves! they remind me of the oatmeal that both my grandmother and my mother made for me for breakfast when I was a little girl. The ginger brings an awesome kick to the palate that I also enjoy so much and I hope you will love it too.
In terms of fruits, I only use dry fruits: pecan and/or walnuts and I replace the raisins for extra carrots in the batter , for more texture.
You will notice the color of the cake itself is darker than other recipes. This is because I used a very brown granulated sugar from actual sugarcane, which is not very easy to find in the Netherlands, in here, most of the sugar comes from sugar beets.
Usually, I make carrot cake without any frosting, and when I choose to use it, I will go for a zesty cream cheese topping decorated with some nuts. The recipe of the frosting is also included here for you to make if that’s your choice. It doesn’t matter what you choose to do, I can assure you this cake is super yummy either way !
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Ingredients
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Cake Batter
- Frosting
Instructions
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Prep
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Notes
- Caster sugar is a refined white sugar that is commonly used for baking in the Netherlands, Australia and the UK. It is finer than granulated sugar and dissolves very easily. One can be used as a substitute of the other in a 1:1 ratio.
- About eggs sizes: Eggs sizes are not really standard, especially organic ones. I do prefer to indicate the weight in grams for you to know exactly what amount I used
- Yield and pan sizes: This recipe yields one layer cake in a 10-inch cake pan and enough frosting to top it. You could also make a double layered cake - filled in cake, for that,divide the batter into two 9-inch cake pans and bake for 35-40 min. You must double up the amount of ingredients for the frosting to cover and fill the cake in.
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Carrot cake it’s one of my favs and this recipe sounds really good! Must try!
Thanks Estefania, let us know how you find it when you try the recipe
cheers
Estupendo tu post sobre el pastel de zanahoria, yo también sustituyó las pasas por más zanahoria, me parece más rico.
Hola Sofia,
es más rico y ayuda a mantener la estructura
Saludos !
Gracias por compartir tu receta, luce deliciosa!
A la orden Maria Gabriela, ese es uno de los objetivos de mi cocina , espero regreses pronto por mas recetas ricas
This looks so yummy! I never thought on combining cinnamon with cloves, I’ll have to give it a try 🙂
Please try it, it is really lovely !
I feel like a have another child! Congratulations on this new journey Tati! Beautiful spicy carrot cake! What’s next?
Hello Enri! thanks for the good wishes and good advice to make this blog come to life. Next in line is The Pumpkin Series, including a venezuelan recipe …stay tuned !
Love a homemade spiced sponge carrot cake and what best if with pecans and walnuts! Well done Tati, you also made it look super easy and delicious 😋! Love the step photos and to be able to tailor it the desired number of portions 🍰. All the best. Can’t wait to try. Can I substitute all purpose four for almond flour? Ciao.
Hi Gatsbyd, thanks for your comment and your question. In principle , you could make that substitution to make the cake keto friendly. I have not tried yet myself. I am soon starting a project to work on a keto version of a few of my recipes. Keep following my IG for new exciting things on my blog. My IG is @tatiblock. Ciao!
I am not very fond of sweets but carrot cake is one of those I cannot resist, and yours looks so tasty!
Definitivamente hay que probar esta versión de carrot cake. A mi me encanta la torta de zanahoria 🥕 y esta se ve buenísima.
Gracias Cindy, espero la hagas y te guste
Carrot cake is one of my favorites desserts and can you believe I never made it at home!? Thanks for the recipe and the step by step instructions. Long live for your new page! Congratulations!
Thanks for the good wishes and congratulations Veronica , long live The Blocks Kitchen indeed !
Amo la torta de zanahoria or carrot cake! Belleza de tarta
Gracias por tu visita y tu lindo comentario
Carrot Cake, de mis tortas favoritas… y esta versión con ginger y especies en su frosting debe ser espectacular!!! mil gracias por compartir tu receta!
Gracias a ti Rossana por visitar mi blog
Delicious! Easy to make and a feel-good thing. Me encanta Tati. Se ve rica. Voy a hacerla. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼❤️
Gracias ELena , me cuentas como te fue y/o compártela en instagram con el tag #tatiblock para poder verla
The carrot cake looks amazing! I will do it this weekend. Thanks for the recipe dear!
Nothing like homemade desserts and carrot cake is one of my favorite. I make it at least once a year.
Tati, I totally love your blog! This recipe is one of my favorites, the carrot cake is a must for fall in this house! Thank you for sharing your recipe. I am going to make it for sure!
Me has dejado enamorada de esta carrot cake 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Esta tarde la haremos que tengo a mis sobrinos en casa y querían carrot cake
Hola Noemi, que lindo tu comentario, espero que hayas podido disfrutar ese dia, la torta y especialmente la compañía de tus sobrinos.
I love the color of this carrot cake, I can’t wait to try it at home!
Thanks for your comment Kelly, I’d love to her from you when you bake the cake at home
This cake is rich both in colour and flavour 🌷