The Best Carrot Cake Recipe* 🥕
It's Sam's favourite cake, and this one hits the mark.
Soft, moist and somehow also light.
How? We're not sure, but we are sure it'll be a crowd pleaser.*
*No actual guarantee, we're just confident. 😇
Cake ingredients at the top, scroll down for the icing. ⏬
Cake Ingredients 👨🍳
295g soft dark brown sugar
250g soft salted butter (not margarine, c'mon)
2.25 tsps vanilla extract (not essence, get the good stuff!)
3 large free range eggs
0.5 tsps bicarbonate of soda
0.5 tsps baking powder
0.75 tsps allspice (don't be tempted to overdo this one, it's a beautiful but strong flavour)
1.5 tsps cinnamon
335g self-raising flour
85g chopped pecans
1 tsp fresh lemon rind
3 tbsps fresh lemon juice
315g freshly grated carrot
Step-by-step ✌️
Pre-heat your oven to 180°C / 350 °F
1️⃣ Start by prepping your ingredients: grate the carrots, rind & squeeze your lemon, and chop up your pecans.
2️⃣ Using an electrix mixer, beat the sugar & butter until light & fluffy. One at a time carefully beat in the eggs together with the vanilla extract. Keep it slow.
3️⃣ Gently fold in your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, bicarb, cinnamon & allspice), alternating with the grated carrot. Do this over about 4-5 switches. Add in the lemon juice as you go, the mixture will become much thicker.
4️⃣ Last but not least, gently fold in your chopped pecans and lemon rind before dividing the mixture between 2x 20cm circular cake tins. We use large liners (pictured) but if you don't have any then just make sure the tins are generously greased & floured.
5️⃣ Bake for 35-40 mins until risen with a gentle spring back. Test by inserting a cocktail stick into the middle of the cake - when it comes out clean the cake is ready. Remove from the tins & leave to cool on a rack.
Cream Cheese Icing 🍦
Cream cheese icing can be tricky to get smooth - but (after many attempts) if you follow this exactly you'll be bang on.
Ingredients 👩🍳
150g salted butter at room temperature (leave out overnight, it should be falling apart)
300g icing sugar, sifted
2x 165g packs of full fat Philadelphia cream cheese, also at room temperature
A few drops of vanilla extract (to taste)
Method 🙌
Mix together the softened butter & icing sugar in a large mixing bowl. Start to beat towards the end when it's mostly combined.
Once totally smooth add the 2x packs of Philladelphia, also at room temperature, together with the vanilla extract.
Beat everything together until smooth, then sandwich your (FULLY COOLED 😂) cake together. We like to do ours in 4 layers, see how you feel. Just don't be tempted to ice if the cake is even slightly warm, you'll end up with the leaning tower of Pisa.
A little more complex this one, but TOTALLY worth it.
Let us know how you get on by tagging us on Instagram @fieldgoodsuk
Ell & Sam.
PS - happy birthday Sam! 🎂