Fauzia's Kitchen Fun

Carrot Cake

215

Carrot Cake

Without being overly sweet, this carrot cake is both delicious and slightly nutty, with a mild pineapple flavor, topped with a glorious cream-cheese frosting, crushed walnuts and desiccated coconut…this cake is the kind that will have you reaching out for a second slice even before the first one is done!
Servings 1 8 Inch Cake

Ingredients
  

Ingredients

  • 1 cup & 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil or 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
  • 1/4 cup drained and chopped pineapple
  • 1/2 cup nuts I used walnuts
  • 1 tsp. vanilla essence
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 tsp. ginger powder

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 150 g icing sugar sifted (1 cup)
  • 30 g unsalted butter room temperature (2 tbsp.)
  • 113 g cream cheese room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla essence

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven at 180 degrees C.
    Grease and line an 8″ pan, dust it with flour.
    Toast the walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely. Add the 1 tbsp. of flour and toss with the nuts. (This will prevent the nuts from sinking in the cake).
    Peel and finely grate the carrots. Set aside.
    In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Set aside.
    Put the eggs in a bowl and beat with a mixer until frothy and thick (about 3 minutes). Gradually add the sugar and beat until the batter is thick and light colored (about 5 minutes). Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. Do NOT over-mix as that would harden the cake. With a spatula fold in the grated carrots, pineapple and chopped nuts.
    Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 5 -10 minutes invert the cake onto the wire rack, remove the pan and parchment paper, and then cool completely before frosting.
    For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
    Beat the cream cheese and butter together on low speed until all lumps are gone. Gradually add the icing sugar and continue beating until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. If the frosting is too thin, add a bit more icing sugar. If too thick, add a bit of whipping cream, fresh cream or even milk, a few drops at a time.
    Spread the frosting on the cake, you can leave the sides uncovered if you want, I like it to go all the way around the cake. Garnish with chopped walnuts and some coconut if you want. 🙂
    Enjoy! 🙂

Join the Conversation

  1. dear fauzia u have not mentioned in the method when to add aking pdr..soda..cinnamon pdr…salt..and ginger pdr..lzz do mention it… thinking of trying it…thankss

    1. My dear it is right there in the recipe. I have mentioned to whisk all those ingredients together. Please re-check the recipe carefully.

  2. wasalaam fauzia…tried your carrot cake…simply turned out awesomee..it became my husbands fav..mashaallah…ever1 loved it ..thanx for sharing such a wonderul recipe…jazakallah 🙂

  3. Slms made d cake ystrdy and it was really nice .the only thing i was disapointed wth was d cream cheese icing.when i added butter to cream cheese it was quite runny although i left it inthe fridge for a while.didnt wnt to add mre icing to thicken the cream cheese as that would be too sweet.cld u tell me pls wat went wrong.jazakallah again fr the wndrful recipe

    1. W/Salaam, that would depend on the brand of cream cheese used. The thicker the better. You can add 1 tbsp of cornflour and mix it well, that will help thicken it faster. 🙂

  4. asw,i wanted to ask whether buttercream frosting or whipped cream wouldd taste good with this cake??i even wanted to ask about cream cheese..is it the normal cheese which is available as cheese spread??can i use amul or britania cheese spread available at the grocery stores.i am located in india.thanks in advance.

    1. W/Salaam, if you can get philadelphia cream cheese it would be best, not the spread though. That tends to be too soft and too salty for a frosting. Otherwise best to use whipped cream.

  5. salaams, sis all this we have to mix with electric beater what if someone is not having would the result be same if it is mixed with hands.

  6. Is there any particular
    Is there any particular reason for using oil in this recipe but butter in the almond cake recipe?

    1. No do not skip the baking
      No do not skip the baking soda. It should be easily available at most groceries or supermarkets. Maybe you know it as bicarbonate of soda.

  7. Salaam! Can I skip the ginger
    Salaam! Can I skip the ginger powder or can I substitute it with something else ?

    1. W/Salaam, yes you can omit
      W/Salaam, yes you can omit the ginger, no need to substitute it. But it does tend to add a lovely depth in the flavour.

  8. Salaamz. Can we use canned
    Salaamz. Can we use canned pineapples or should we stick to Fresh ones? It’s a bit difficult to find fresh pineapples in nearby stores so I was wondering if canned ones would do the job. I also wanted to know what’s the difference between baking soda and baking powder? Don’t they do the same job? Thanks.

    1. W/Salaam, I use canned…just
      W/Salaam, I use canned…just drain well. Baking powder and baking soda are different. Baking soda is a pure base, while baking powder is a combination of base and dry acid. It’s the way that base and acid react (think adding vinegar to baking soda) that creates the leavening in baked goods that use them.

      1. Jazak’Allah Khairun. I went
        Jazak’Allah Khairun. I went to get the ingredients last night and for the frosting, I could only find jars that said “Spreadable Cream Cheese.” Is this the same as Cream Cheese? I could not find anything with “Cream Cheese” only.

        1. Spreadable cream cheese is
          Spreadable cream cheese is different, it is lighter in consistency. SO the frosting will be a bit runny if using this. Check for mascarpone or the tubs of cream cheese that are more ‘set’ like blocks of butter.

  9. assalamu alaikum sister!
    assalamu alaikum sister!
    can i use 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder instead of 1/2 tsp of baking soda?
    and can you suggest me a recipe of how to make milk toffees
    jazzakallahu khaira.

    1. W/Salaam, no you cannot make
      W/Salaam, no you cannot make that substitution because these two ingredients are completely different and work differently.

  10. Salam. Can we use pineapple
    Salam. Can we use pineapple crush instead of pineapple? If we use it how the measurement will change.

    1. W/Salaam, by pineapple crush
      W/Salaam, by pineapple crush do you mean crushed pineapple? If so then yes that’s fine just drain well and measure the same amount.

  11. A/salam Dearest Fauzia, I
    A/salam Dearest Fauzia, I tried your carrot cake today, came out great. hubby loved it and quarter of the cake was gone by the time i decided to make the frosting. I even made the butter chicken today. JazakAllah Khairun for your hardwork in providing us with great tested recipes. I never baked before but now am not hesitant in baking. Already done quite a lot from all these yummilious recipes. my 16 month old daughter loves your chicken bread. one question can we substitue vanilla extract for essence and vice verse. as when i bought the extract the store keeper suggested to use little less amount for vanilla essence recipes. thanks May Allah bless you and your family with all the happiness in the world.

    1. W/Salaam, thank you so much.
      W/Salaam, thank you so much. Yes you can definitely use essence. 🙂

  12. A/Salam Fauzia
    A/Salam Fauzia
    Thanks for the reply. I am planning to bake this cake for upcoming hubby’s birthday can I double the recipe and bake it in a rectangle shaped pan. It’s probably 9×13 . Am not sure of the size. Or should I make two as have invited some of his friends. Thanks. May Allah SWT bless you with all the success and prosperity along with happiness . Best regards.

    1. W/Salaam, yes that is
      W/Salaam, yes that is perfectly ok. You can bake double the recipe in one 9×13 pan OR make two cakes if you are unsure or hesitant about making a large batch for the first try.

  13. Hi would like to make this
    Hi would like to make this cake but i am not sure what the measurements are in grams…because i have seen your measurement on your website but it’s not for the carrot or the walnuts… so what would be a solution? i thought about using both measurement for the rice measurement you have used of 1 cup = 185 grams. hope this is correct.

    also i am using the brand ARM AND HAMMER for the baking soda

    1. Hi, just use any average
      Hi, just use any average sized teacup and measure with it, the nuts and carrots do not really have to be that accurately weighed. 🙂

      1. Hi,
        Hi,

        The cake come out good and everyone love the cake, thank you so much. !! The only thing i did not use was the chees topping because, i could taste sugar bits, i think this is because i made powder sugar myself, even so i thought i grinded it very wel..

        thanks so much also your almond cake is always a succes. That was the first cake i ever made.

        1. Hi, grinding sugar, no matter
          Hi, grinding sugar, no matter how finely, does NOT result in icing sugar. Icing sugar normally contains other ingredients to give it that smooth texture and thickening characteristics. Try and use icing sugar or you could try and add about 2 tbsp of cornflour to regular grinded sugar, which might help a little bit.

  14. Salam fouzia ur recipes r
    Salam fouzia ur recipes r great just want to ask can I use frozen grated carrots for this cake.

    1. W/Salaam, have not tried with
      W/Salaam, have not tried with frozen grated carrots but it should be fine unless they release too much water.

  15. Assalamualikum sister i have
    Assalamualikum sister i have tried so many recipes and all of them turned out really well. may Allah grant u good health and bless you.can u pls tell whether to use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil? And also ginger juice instead of powder and whipping cream for frosting? If so how to use the whipping cream?also are those cheese you hav mentioned in da comments are halal(mascorpan, Philadelphia)

    1. W/Salaam, I would not
      W/Salaam, I would not recommend you to use coconut oil as it has a very strong smell and might change the flavour of the cake. Also it is best to use ginger powder. Yes you can use whipping cream, just whip it with some icing sugar. And yes the cheeses come in many brands and you just have to check for the halal ones just like with any other cheese.

  16. Hey Fauzia! Great carrot cake
    Hey Fauzia! Great carrot cake recipe. First question, can i use less than 1/2 cup of oil? 2nd question, what happens if i don’t use any oil?

  17. Hi can i use this frosting
    Hi can i use this frosting red velvet cake allso? how long can we keep this frosting?

  18. Can i use cake flour instead
    Can i use cake flour instead of all purpose flour? If so, are there any changes to be made?

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