This moist carrot cake with an orange drizzle, studded with crunchy walnuts, sultanas and warming spices, topped with a simple but luxurious mascarpone icing sweetened with maple syrup; is sure to be your new favourite carrot cake recipe!
This easy carrot cake recipe is based on a recipe by Delia Smith and is one I have been making for many years, tweaking here and there as I go to create what I think is the best carrot cake. It is a cake that is always popular, and I always get asked for the recipe.
There is nothing worse than a dry carrot cake, so this one, with ground almond / almond meal, walnuts, orange and an orange drizzle is made to ensure that it will be moist and delicious!
The mascarpone icing is a simple icing made with just 3 ingredients: mascarpone, vanilla and maple syrup. Of course, a classic cream cheese frosting works just as well if you prefer.
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Ingredient notes and substitutions
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient quantities.
- Carrots – the star of the show! Grate them using a cheese grater – you want to grate them coarsely, not fine. Do not use bought grated / shredded carrots, they are too dry.
- Ground almonds (UK) – known as almond meal in Australia and NZ, or almond flour in the US, this helps create a delicious texture and is another trick to keeping the cake moist.
- Walnuts – crunchy walnuts add texture which I love. Substitute with pecans, or leave out if you aren’t a fan of nuts in your cake.
- Sultanas – if you don’t want dried fruit in your carrot cake, just leave them out!
- Orange – orange zest is used to flavour the cake, and the fresh orange juice is used to make the orange drizzle.
- Coconut – desiccated coconut helps create that delicious moist but not dense, texture.
- Oil – helps create a beautiful moist carrot cake. I love to use a mild olive oil to make the cake, or substitute with vegetable oil or another neutral oil.
Orange Drizzle and Mascarpone Icing Ingredients
- Mascarpone – I know many people consider cream cheese icing on a carrot cake perhaps the best part of the cake; however I had run out of cream cheese one day and made this icing instead and think that it goes really well with the carrot cake. It isn’t quite as sweet as cream cheese icing, but creamy and luxurious.
- Maple syrup – sweetens the mascarpone with a mild flavour.
- Vanilla – I like to use vanilla bean paste as I prefer the flavour, and love the specks of vanilla seeds. However substitute with vanilla extract if you prefer.
How to make this carrot cake recipe
The list of ingredients may be long, but the actual process of making the carrot cake is in fact very simple!
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the full recipe.
- Make the carrot cake: Whisk the oil, eggs and sugar together until fluffy and the sugar is dissolved.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, almonds, spices, baking powder and bicarb. Fold this into the whisked eggs.
- Bake: Gently fold in the rest of the ingredients – trying to keep as much air in the batter as you can. Spoon the mixture into the lined tin.
- Bake until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Make the orange drizzle: combine the white sugar and orange juice in a small pan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Prick holes all over the cake with a skewer, then spoon the warm drizzle all over the cake.
- Once the cake has cooled, make the icing: beat the mascarpone cheese with the vanilla and maple syrup. Spoon over the cake (it is a little runny), sprinkle with chopped walnuts, if using, and place in the fridge for 30-45 minutes to set.
FAQ
Can I use cream cheese icing on this carrot cake?
Absolutely! I used to always make the traditional cream cheese icing, however in recent years I have found the texture of cream cheese to have changed and the icing has come out gummy. So, I turned to mascarpone.
Can I make this carrot cake nut free?
Yes, you can easily make the carrot cake nut free – use 50g extra flour and leave out the ground almonds / almond meal and omit the walnuts.
Can I leave this carrot cake un-iced?
Absolutely! This carrot cake is delicious without any icing as the orange drizzle adds a sweet, sticky top.
My recipe tips
- Cups and grams: I have tested this recipe on numerous occasions to make it suitable for cups as well as grams; however I couldn’t produce the same delicious carrot cake so I have left it in grams. I will continue to test a carrot cake in cup measurements too, but for now I apologise to those who only bake with cups.
- Toasted walnuts: You don’t have to toast the walnuts first, but I love the extra flavour it gives.
- Folding in ingredients: Stir the carrots, nuts and coconut into the cake gently, you want to try and keep as much air in the cake as you can.
- Freeze: You can freeze the cake with the drizzle, but I don’t recommend freezing the cake once iced.
Why not try…
You may also like these other simple cake recipes:
Moist Carrot Cake
Author: Robyn
This moist carrot cake with an orange drizzle, studded with crunchy walnuts, sultanas and warming spices, topped with a simple but luxurious mascarpone icing sweetened with maple syrup, is sure to be your new favourite carrot cake recipe!
Equipment
- 21cm / 8 inch deep round cake tin
Ingredients
- 50 g walnuts
- 2 large eggs
- 175 g soft brown sugar
- 150 ml olive oil or neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 150 g plain flour
- 50 g ground almonds (almond meal)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarb
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch salt
- 220 g carrots peeled and coarsely grated
- 1 orange zested
- 100 g sultanas
- 30 g desiccated coconut
Orange drizzle
- 1 orange juiced
- 50 g white sugar (granulated sugar)
Mascarpone Icing
- 250 g mascarpone
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
- walnuts to decorate, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150℃ fan / 170℃ / 340℉.
- Whilst the oven is heating, tip the walnuts into a small baking tray and roast for 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Grease and line a deep 21cm / 8 inch round cake tin with baking paper. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment, whisk the eggs with the sugar, oil and vanilla until the sugar is dissolved.
- In a separate bowl mix the flour with the ground almonds / almond meal / almond flour, baking powder, bicarb, mixed spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and a pinch of salt.
- Roughly chop the walnuts.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the whisked eggs and sugar.
- Once the dry ingredients are almost incorporated, fold in the grated carrots, chopped walnuts, orange zest, sultanas and coconut.
- Spoon into the lined tin and bake for 45-50 minutes, until a skewer inserted in to the middle comes out clean.
- Leave to cool slightly in the tin.
- Whilst the cake is cooling, make the orange drizzle.
To make the orange drizzle
- Combine the orange juice and white sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
- Using a toothpick or skewer, prick holes all over the cake. Spoon the orange drizzle all over the top of the cake.
- Leave the cake in the tin to cool.
- Once the cake is completely cold, ice with the mascarpone icing.
To make the mascarpone icing
- Beat the mascarpone with the vanilla and maple syrup until smooth.
- Spoon the icing over the top of the cake (it will seem runny). Sprinkle over extra walnuts, if using.
- Leave to set for 30-45 minutes before serving, or place in the fridge for 15-10 minutes, until the icing has set.
Notes
INGREDIENTS NOTES
- Carrots – the star of the show! Grate them using a cheese grater, you want to grate them coarsely, not fine. Do not use bought grated / shredded carrots, they are too dry.
- Ground almonds (UK) – known as almond meal in Australia and NZ, or almond flour in the US, this helps create a delicious texture and is another trick to keeping the cake moist.
- Walnuts – crunchy walnuts add texture which I love. Substitute with pecans, or leave out if you aren’t a fan of nuts in your cake.
- Sultanas – if you don’t want dried fruit in your carrot cake, just leave them out!
- Orange – orange zest is used to flavour the cake, and the fresh orange juice is used to make the orange drizzle.
- Coconut – desiccated coconut helps create that delicious moist but not dense, texture.
- Oil – helps create a beautiful moist carrot cake. I love to use a mild olive oil to make the cake, or substitute with vegetable oil or another neutral oil.
Nutrition
Calories: 443kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 6gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 205mgPotassium: 243mgFiber: 3gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 3450IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 125mgIron: 2mg
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