Carrot cake is rightfully among the top Easter classics! Since this recipe first appeared in 2014, I have received thousands of wonderful reviews and great feedback:
If it were up to my husband, I’d be baking the carrot cake every week 😉 . It truly tastes heavenly. Over time, I’ve refined my classic carrot cake recipe, and as you’ll see here, it’s really easy to make:
The texture is unique: thanks to the combination of ingredients, the carrot cake is both moist and light. It’s easy to prepare, which is especially important when baking for Easter or other festive occasions. The cake is incredibly versatile, both in terms of decoration and spices. It’s a real family favorite, especially since this recipe is also the perfect veggie hiding spot for kids 😉 . So, grab your whisk!
The Key Ingredients
Carrots as the main ingredient should not be shriveled, but rather firm and crisp, as they’re easier to work with when fresh.
In my recipe, hazelnuts, almonds, and wheat flour are combined. You could use just almonds or just hazelnuts without flour, or even make a carrot cake with nuts but without almonds. However, the most balanced flavor and best texture come from a mix of all three ingredients along with a bit of baking powder.
Eggs make the carrot cake fluffy and light. Since this is almost like a sponge cake batter, they are crucial for the texture and volume.
Rapeseed oil, despite its small amount, adds extra moisture. It’s best to use either completely neutral, heat-resistant oil or one with a buttery aroma.
Brown sugar provides not only sweetness but also a subtle caramel flavor. It can be replaced with regular white sugar if necessary.
Baking the Carrot Cake in 4 Steps
In essence, nothing can go wrong when preparing this cake, as the many enthusiastic comments show:
Grate the carrots. The easiest way is with a grating attachment on your food processor, a food processor, or Thermomix. You can also do it by hand using a box grater, but that’s more time-consuming. The grating should not be too fine nor too coarse—just like you would for carrot salad.
Mix the batter. First, combine the dry ingredients and the grated carrots. You’ll also need stiffly beaten egg whites and a creamy, beaten mixture of egg yolks and sugar. Since egg whites should not come into contact with any fat (like yolk residue on the beaters), it’s best to beat the egg whites first, then the yolks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter with a spatula, ensuring the mixture remains as airy as possible.
Bake until the carrot cake is done but still slightly moist. I can only give you an estimate for the baking time. If the surface gets too dark toward the end, you can cover it with some aluminum foil.
Decorate. There are several options here. You can simply dust it with powdered sugar, cover it with a marzipan layer, or generously spread a cream cheese frosting. I prefer the classic lemon glaze with marzipan carrot decorations. Place these quickly as the glaze can set fast.
Pro Tip: How to Keep Your Carrot Cake Moist
To ensure your carrot cake is moist but not soggy, the baking time is crucial. Carrot shavings release varying amounts of moisture, so your cake may need a bit more or less time. After about 50-55 minutes, do a skewer test: if no dough sticks to it, the carrot cake is done; if it does, bake for another 5-10 minutes.
Simple, Delicious Variations
Healthier Variations: By swapping out just one ingredient, you can modify the recipe to make a gluten-free carrot cake without flour. Simply replace the wheat flour with additional almonds or nuts. This works wonderfully! You can also use sugar substitutes like (brown) erythritol. Among my special variants for specific dietary needs, you’ll find a low-fat healthy pineapple-carrot cake, and a vegan version without eggs.
Other Flavors: I use grated orange zest (preferably store-bought) and lemon or orange juice to enhance the flavor. You can also use cinnamon, or even a mix of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, which will give it a more festive, Christmas-like flavor 😉
Storage Tips
The pieces will be gobbled up in no time, I promise! But stored in the fridge, the cake will stay fresh for up to 3 days. Best kept in an airtight container, like a cake box. If you plan to freeze the carrot cake, either wrap it whole in aluminum foil or freeze it in pieces. Just make sure to add the marzipan decoration fresh, so it doesn’t run.
I hope my (for us) world’s best carrot cake will be a hit with you as well! Feel free to try the easterbunny cake, eggnog dessert and easter bunny cookies.
Recipe Card
Carrot Cake
Equipment
- 1 springform pan (26 cm)
Ingredients
For the Batter
- 450 grams carrots, weighed unpeeled
- 200 grams ground hazelnuts
- 150 grams ground almonds
- 100 grams wheat flour, or almonds
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 6 medium-sized eggs
- A pinch of salt
- 220 grams brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or orange juice
- 50 milliliters rapeseed oil or other neutral oil
For the Decoration
- 200 grams powdered sugar
- 5 tablespoons lemon juice, rough amount
- 12 marzipan carrots
Instructions
- Peel the carrots, remove the greens, and grate them finely or medium-fine, either using a grating attachment for a food processor or by hand with a grater. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) with top and bottom heat. Line the bottom of a 26 cm springform pan with baking paper and lightly grease the sides.
- Mix the grated carrots, nuts, almonds, flour, orange zest, and baking powder, and set aside.
- Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Beat the egg yolks with the brown sugar until frothy. Add the juice, oil, and the prepared carrot-flour mixture, and stir together. Finally, carefully fold the beaten egg whites into the batter with a spatula to maintain as much airiness as possible.
- Pour the batter into the springform pan and smooth the surface. Bake for about 50-55 minutes, covering with foil towards the end if the surface gets too dark. Do a skewer test to check if the cake is done. If yes, remove from the oven and let cool; if not, bake for another 5-10 minutes.
- For the glaze, gradually stir the sifted powdered sugar with enough juice to create a smooth, spreadable glaze. Quickly apply to the cake and decorate with marzipan carrots. Optionally, sprinkle the center with chopped pistachios.
Notes
Storage: 1 day at room temperature in a cake box or well-wrapped in foil; about 3 days in the fridge or several months in the freezer. If you already know you want to store the cake, it’s best to skip the decoration and apply it fresh.
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