Carrot Cake - A Guest Recipe From Donna Hay
This is the only carrot cake you need in your life! Layers of super soft cake are warmly (but not overly) spiced and studded with nuts, then coated in the dreamiest lemony cream cheese frosting.
Extracted from Even More Basics to Brilliance by Donna Hay (Fourth Estate, £28)
SERVES 10-12
1⁄2 cup (125ml) grapeseed oil or vegetable oil 2 eggs
11⁄4 cups (300g) firmly packed brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (300g) firmly packed grated carrot (about 3 carrots)
13⁄4 cups (260g) plain (all-purpose) flour 21⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⁄2 cup (125g) plain thick yoghurt
1 cup (100g) walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped cream cheese frosting
500g cream cheese, chopped and softened
2⁄3 cup (110g) pure icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted 1⁄4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
STEP 1 Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Lightly grease and line the base and sides of 2 x 20cm (8 inch) round cake tins with non-stick baking paper.
STEP 2 Place the oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 8 minutes or until well combined and thick. Add the carrot and stir through.
STEP 3 Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger over. Add the nutmeg, yoghurt and walnuts and stir to combine.
STEP 4 Divide between the prepared tins and bake for 35–40 minutes or until just cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool in the tins for 15 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
STEP 5 While the cakes are cooling, make the cream cheese frosting. Place the cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until smooth.
STEP 6 To assemble, place one cake on a cake stand or plate and spread with half the cream cheese frosting. Top with the remaining cake and frosting, and serve.
