Although traditionally round, carrot cakes can be made in any tin, and James Martin’s recipe uses a loaf tin, making a carrot loaf cake. It has more than 230 five-star ratings from bakers who claim that this is their go-to carrot cake recipe.
It cuts into eight to 10 portions, perfect for afternoon tea. The recipe notes said, “Who can resist a slice of moist, frosting-topped carrot cake with a warming cuppa?” If making ahead of time, the cake without the frosting can be frozen for super moist results.
Ingredients:
For the cake:
Zest and juice of one orange
50g sultanas
150ml sunflower oil
Two eggs
140g soft light brown sugar
85g wholemeal self-raising flour
85g self-raising flour
Two teaspoons of ground cinnamon
Two teaspoons of ground mixed spice
One teaspoon of baking soda
140g carrots, grated
50g walnuts
For the icing:
200g soft cheese
50g butter, softened
85g icing sugar
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Method:
Stir the orange zest and juice in with the sultanas and microwave on medium heat for one to two minutes.
Heat the oven to 180C or 160C Fan and grease the base and sides of a 2lb loaf tin before lining it with paper.
Mix together the sugars, flours, mixed spice, cinnamon and baking soda in a mixing bowl before adding the sultanas with any juice and zest left in the bowl, grated carrot, walnuts and whisked egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Throughly mix together with a wooden spoon.
Tip into the loaf tin and bake on the middle shelf for one hour, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool the cake in the tin.
Once cool, remove from the tin and make the icing. With an electric whisk, beat together butter, cinnamon and icing sugar until it comes together and is smooth.
Add the cream cheese and beat briefly until soft and smooth, be careful not to overbeat as it may split and become runny.
Spread over the top of the cake and decorate with walnut halves.
Enjoy immediately, but if you do have any leftovers, keep this cake in the fridge due to the cream cheese frosting.