The best carrot cake ever

My favourite homemade carrot cake recipe. This cake is easy to make, incredibly moist and warmly spiced, and topped with rich, creamy Philadelphia frosting. It’s made with walnuts (or pecans), cinnamon and pineapple. You don’t need any fancy equipment – just a few bowls, a whisk and a spatula. It’s truly the best carrot cake ever – tried and tested many times!

Ingredients for the best carrot cake ever:

• ⅔ cup plain flour
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil or walnut oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup chopped, drained pineapple
• 1 cup grated carrot

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

In a bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, caster sugar, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, spices and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the oil and eggs until well combined. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture using a spatula. Fold in the walnuts, pineapple and grated carrot until evenly incorporated.

Grease and line a 20 cm springform tin. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin.

Bake at 175°C for 40–45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Ingredients for the cream cheese frosting:

• 300 g Philadelphia cream cheese, at room temperature
• 90 g butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste

Cream the butter and the sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Add vanilla and beat. Add cream cheese and beat until fluffy.

Cut the cooled cake in half horizontally through the middle. Spread half the frosting on one cake, sit the other on top, and spread the remaining frosting. Decorate the top of the cake with the walnuts and sprinkle with cinnamon, if you wish.

Enjoy!