Easy carrot cake

A simple yet delicious carrot cake – wonderfully moist and incredibly easy to make, as everything comes together in one bowl. Finished with a homemade cream cheese frosting, lightly sweetened with honey for extra flavour. A classic, reliable carrot cake recipe that’s sure to become a favourite.

Ingredients for the easy carrot cake:

• 260 g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1,5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 290 ml rapeseed or sunflower oil
• 200 g soft light brown sugar
• 50 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 300 g carrots, grated
• 100 g walnuts or pecan nuts, chopped

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place the oil, both sugars and the vanilla extract in a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until incorporated. Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon, then fold gently with a whisk until just combined — do not overmix. Stir through the grated carrot and chopped nuts.

Line a 23 × 33 cm baking tin with baking paper and pour in the batter, spreading it evenly.

Bake at 170°C for about 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely, then spread with the Philadelphia cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients for the topping:

• 300 g Philadelphia cream cheese, at room temperature
• 90 g butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup icing sugar, sieved
• 4 Tbsp runny honey

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the honey, then add the cream cheese in three additions, mixing continuously until smooth.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Inspired Taste.