Carrot cake with cream cheese icing is a bit of a classic. I’m not sure what to say except I know the person who makes the best carrot cake every time. She shared her secret with me and now I am going to share it with you.

Are you ready???

Always bake it in an enamel baking dish and serve the cake out of it. It keeps it very moist and does something to the flavour. I can’t tell you what, but every time I make this cake in a tin other than enamel, it just isn’t the same! this recipe even makes 24 cup cakes, but they don’t taste as good as the cake baked in the enamel.

I use a large enamel dish that is about 25cm by 30cm. It is the perfect size. I don’t own any “falconware” enamel yet, but  the cheaper dishes I bought from Woolworths are still ok and do the job. I do have a very large enamel baking dish given to me by a friend, but it is too big for this cake recipe!

Carrot Cake is one of my favourites, but when I order it out I am often bitterly disappointed. Mostly it is too dry, I had one once that was so salty I couldn’t eat it and another that tasted like the cream cheese had gone off! So I have resigned myself to the job o making my own and keeping it in the freezer for when I want a piece… Honestly I think I could make a lot of money making slices and cake for cafes as the things they serve are just awful and they aren’t really that inexpensive. But if I did that then I don’t think I would have time for my blog. I really do like my blog… so I need to weigh up, lots of money and a tropical holiday or blog… looks like blog wins today! 🙂

I don’t know why but the enamel baking dish seems to keep the cake really moist!

Ingredients – Cake
This is a large cake and cuts into 35 – 40 pieces.

300g Carrot
2 Cups Raw sugar (380g)
1 1/2 Cups of Oil ( 375g) I used light olive oil, but it is your choice.
4 Eggs
2 1/2 Cups of Plain Flour (400g)
1 Teaspoon Baking powder (10g)
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon (10g)
1 Teaspoon of Bicarbonate of Soda dissolved into 1 Tablespoon of water
100g Sultanas/Raisin/Dried Fruit

Ingredients – Icing

2 x 250g Block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (Full Cream)
500g Pure Icing Sugar
1-2 Teaspoons (10g) Lemon Juice just enough to bring it together

Method – Cake

1. Preheat oven to 160ºC and grease well (don’t use paper) a large enamel baking dish 30cm by 25cm.
2. Combine sugar, oil and eggs in a mixing bowl and beat until sugar is dissolved
3. Sift dry ingredients and mix in.
4. Add bi-carb mixture, carrots and sultanas and mix.

Make sure it is mixed in really well!

5. Pour mixture into enamel baking dish and cook for 60 mins or until a cake skewer comes out clean.

It look so much nice with icing… but this is still a yummy cake even without the icing!

6. Cool in tin, ice, cut and eat.

Method – Icing
1. Place all ingredients into a large bowl and beat until smooth and place in the fridge until ready to use.
2. Pour mixture onto a completely cool cake and smooth out with a knife, making sure the icing is as even as you can.

THERMOMIX METHOD

This recipe was made in the TM5 and can be made in the TM31 with a few modifications.

Method – Cake

1. Preheat oven to 160ºC and grease well (don’t use paper) a large enamel baking dish 30cm by 25cm.

2. Place roughly chopped carrot into the mixing bowl and chop 5 seconds/speed 5, scrape down the sides and repeat, then set aside carrot.

3. Without cleaning the bowl place in 380g of raw sugar and mill 20 seconds/speed 10.

4. Place butterfly into the blade and secure. Add oil and eggs and mix 2 minutes/speed 3.

5. Remaining cake ingredients and mix 1 minute/speed 2.

It mixes up really well in the Thermi.

6. Pour mixture into enamel baking dish and cook for 60 mins or until a cake skewer comes out clean.

It should be the consistency of a very thick batter.

7. Cool in tin, ice, cut and eat.

Method – Icing

1. Place roughly chopped cream cheese and all other ingredients into the mixing bowl, mix 15 seconds/speed 5, scrape down the bowl and repeat.

2. Place icing in the fridge to harden until needed.

UPDATE 23/02/2020

Because I am always learning an tweeking my recipes (STILL) someone asked me to make a carrot cake for their birthday. I poured the above cake evenly into 2 x 24cm round backing paper covered (high up the side) tins and baked them for just 40 minutes leaving them in the oven to cool. Then next day (after they had been in the fridge overnight) I cut each in half and layered them with a small amount of the cream cheese icing, lathered it over the whole cake, covered the outside with chopped walnuts with a few whole for decorations on the top. Every one raved over how moist and light this cake was… so it works both ways 🙂

This cake cuts into about 35 large pieces, it freezes really well, even with the icing on top, so make a batch, cut it up and put in the freezer for later. You don’t have to ice it, but lets face it, it’s the reason why we eat cake… it is all about the icing especially with carrot cake! 🙂

There is 100g of sultanas in this recipe, but why don’t you try pineapples pieces, walnut or apricots just for something different… just make sure that you put in 100g of what ever other fruit you want and it will be perfect everytime.

So there you have it… The nicest carrot cake I know 🙂 I hope you enjoy this light fluffy cake that tasty great and can be popped into lunch boxes straight from the freezer. What is your favourite cake?

Enjoy Irresponsibly!

Liz xx

Elizabeth Connolly

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I have been cooking since I can remember. I am a Thermomix consultant, so now (whenever possible) try to give you Conventional AND Thermomix methods for the recipes. I like to share tips on how to save money and how making food from scratch isn't really that hard (especially with a Thermomix). If you have any questions about the Thermomix or cooking/food in general please email me as I'm happy to chat.
Liz xx
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