Lindy's Cakes Ltd

Bringing world-class sugarcraft into your kitchen

Delicious Kiwi Carrot Cake Recipe

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What could be nicer than a slice of spicy, moist carrot cake, with the added crunch of walnuts? One of my favourites especially when the cake is topped with cream cheese icing. YUM YUM! Over the years, we’ve shared many recipes with you here at Lindy’s Cakes. This particular carrot cake recipe is an all-time favourite recipe of Kiwi Rachel’s. Here she is to introduce her carrot cake…

Carrot cake recipe

As many of you will be well aware we are completely snowed in here in Wendover, UK. Schools have been closed since last Wednesday and it’s been really tricky to get to work. Most of us have been staying put, snuggled up cosy inside. This kind of weather evokes a desire for warming comfort food… soups, rustic ‘slow’ food, hot drinks and baking. Being forced inside gives us a chance to do all the things we put off because we are so busy. Like copious amounts of home baking! So, after a request on our Facebook page, I dug out my all-time favourite Carrot Cake recipe and came over all Betty Crocker and got baking… along with Banana Cupcakes, Chocolate Oat Squares and our family favourite ‘Quick Chocolate Cake‘. I’ve been busy baking and my family has been busy devouring. Happy Days!

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Why carrot cake?

I love this Carrot Cake recipe because it is moist, delicious and it rises! Yet another recipe from my talented Mother who baked relentlessly for her children. She has no idea where she got it from, chances are it came from another fabulous BakerMum from Downunder! You just have to cover it with Cream Cheese Icing, it’s almost a Carrot Cake crime not to!

What you need

Pre-heat your oven to 180c/ 350f/Gas4. 

Use a 20cm(8in) tall sided tin, grease and line appropriately.

carrot cake recipe ingredients

Ingredients

  • 300g  Plain Flour,
  • 1/2 t Salt
  • 2t Baking Powder
  • 1t Bicarb of Soda 
  • 2t Cinnamon Powder 
  • 1t mixed spice
  • 50g walnuts roughly chopped
  • 250g Sugar
  • 185ml Olive Oil
  • 400g Grated Carrots
  • 4 large eggs beaten

Mix together all the dry ingredients, except the sugar. In another bowl mix the eggs and sugar with a beater until creamy and light. Mix in the oil by hand, whipping. Add to the dry ingredients. Mix in. Add the carrots and mix really well.  Pour into your prepared cake tin. Bake for approx 60 mins – times will vary depending on your oven. Test with a skewer inserted into the cake, if it comes out clean it’s done! 

Adding a classic cream cheese icing

Fill and top with cream cheese icing when cool.

carrot cake split ready for cream cheese icing
Cake split in half ready for cream cheese icing

Cream cheese icing recipe

  • 250g Icing Sugar
  • 180g very soft butter
  • 180g Cream Cheese
  • Zest of one Lemon

Mix the icing sugar and butter together until smooth. Beat in the cream cheese. Add lemon zest. Spread half over the split cake, to create a delicious thick layer, stack the cake and then spread the remainder of the icing over the top of the cake. Add walnuts for decoration as desired.

A delicious kiwi carrot cake recipe
Moist, spicy and delicious

Enjoy!

Lindy’s Cakes

‘Bringing world-class sugarcraft to your kitchen’

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Lindy Smith says

    Hi Shelley
    This is Kiwi Rachels recipe, I plan to try it in the next day or two, but she reliably informs me that it is a dense cake and so in theory, would hold up well to being carved. We suggest however, that it would probably be best carved from frozen. I’ll give you an update once I’ve had a go myself.
    Happy baking
    Lindy

  4. Lindy Smith says

    I baked Kiwi’s carrot cake last night – it took 1 hour 20 mins in my fan oven at 180 degrees to bake and has given me a 7cm high cake. We sampled it as a pudding, warm with greek yoghurt – delicious. I’ll let you know how it carves and keeps
    Lindy

  5. elaine says

    Hi i too made this cake 180c -took one hour.It seemed to dome a bit more than rise.I used sunflower oil instead cos i thought it a bit weird for olive oil.Would it have made any difference?Would this freeze ok and be suitable for a base wedding cake tier cos this recipe seems better than the one i made for trial wedding cake.What quantities do you suggest for 12″ 4″ deep invicta cake tin. many thanks

  10. elaine says

    thought i was getting expert on this carrot cake recipe but have just made another and found that the middle was still a bit liwuid underneath the cake-any suggestions? i do line the tins and wrap the outside with towel or newspaper

  12. Jane Dolder says

    Hello Elaine,
    I don’t wrap newspaper or a towel around the outside. This may be the reason it was undercooked. Keep trying – it’s well worth it!
    Rachel

  13. elaine says

    Thanks i’ll try it. By the way it was only the middle bit underneath-bout 1 inch round that was still sloppy.

  14. elaine says

    how long do you think a 6 inch would taske to cook cos i was making the 8 inch for someone but as i said it was still very very moist in the middle.I cant judge by looking through my oven door as my light is not working!!! many thanks

  16. Jane Dolder says

    Hello Elaine,
    Try giving it 45mins and then check every 5-10 minutes afterwards. I don’t know definite times but this would be the best way to try it.
    Jane

  17. Ally says

    Hi Lindi / Rachel.
    I am due to make a carrot cake for a baby naming ceremony. They have ordered a 20″ by 16″ cake (I have explained how many people that would feed, but I guess they have alot of friends!) – I am going to make two 10″ by 8″ cakes and sandwich them together. The recipe above sounds delicious, but I am concerned about the weight, as I will be covering the cake with sugarpaste. Will the recipe be dense enough? I dont plan on filling the cakes due to size, just covering them.
    Thanks
    Ally

  19. Lisa Knight says

    Hi there

    Following all the good comments, I am going to try this recipe – but I don’t like walnuts. Can I substitute them with sulatanas? Would 50g be too much?

    Thanks
    Lisa

  23. Jo Johnson says

    I want to try this as cupcakes – do you think it would work? And how long should I cook them for (they are the normal size, rather than the larger ones)?

    Thanks
    Jo

  24. Lindy Smith says

    Jo, Yes it will work – no such thing as ‘normal size’ when it comes to cupcakes, but I find most recipes take about 20 mins – some a bit more some a bit less.
    happy baking
    Lindy

  25. Carol Lowdon says

    Hi Lindy,
    Could you please tell me if it is possible to use a cream cheese frosting on a carrot cake for a wedding. The cake needs to be decorated with fondant 2 days prior to the wedding for transporting on the Friday. I am thinking of making the carrot cake as a kitchen cake as I am using some dummies on the tiered wedding cake. I’m a little concerned that cream cheese is a high risk food and it will not be stored in the fridge once covered in fondant. I was thinking of using a lemon buttercream as an alternative frostng. I’d appreciate your advice.
    Thankyou
    Carol

  26. Kiwi Rachel says

    Dear Carol

    Lindy would not cover cream cheese frosting in fondant. The lemon buttercream sounds like a better option.

    Good luck with your cake making!

    Zoe

  27. Samantha Bache says

    Have baked this for the first time after being tempted following a very successful Madeira cake (courtesy of this blog) and have to say it tastes amazing!!!

    Thank you do much for sharing this and if I can bake it then ap can anyone.

  29. Vicky Hayton says

    Hi Lindy, did you ever get round to carving this cake? Does it carve well? Does it hold sugarpaste well? Did it keep well?
    Thanks
    Vicky

  30. Jane says

    Hello Vicky,
    We would suggest carving the Carrot Cake from frozen. Haven’t tried to cover it yet though.
    Jane

  31. Joanne says

    Just wanted to say thanks for the wonderfull recipe! I did forget the walnuts, but it was still a super wonderfull and tasty carrot cake. If I knew carrot cake was this easy to make, I would’ve done it sooner. I tasted the cut offs, but ended up not finishing decorating, because we (ok me) couldn’t wait any longer to sample some more. Super delicious.

  32. kim giles says

    Hi,
    I need to make a 12″ carrot cake and have made 2 attempts so far but both have burnt on the outside before cooking in the middle. Any suggestions, please, on oven temperature and cooking time – also any tips appreciated. Thanks

  33. Lindys Team says

    Hi Kim

    Lindy doesn’t often use carrot cakes so we don’t have much experience with them. It does sound like your oven is up too high. I usually turn my oven down a bit and cook it for slightly longer, maybe another 10 minutes. Keep checking with a skewer which should come out clean when cooked.

    Cooking times depend on the recipe you are using.

    Good luck
    Susie

  34. Emma j says

    Hi,

    Would appreciate any advice please 🙂

    I am using this recipe for the 2 bottom tiers of a wedding cake. They will be 12″ and 10″, I have upscaled the recipe using Lindy’s chart but I’m concerned about baking times.

    What temp and duration would you suggest in a fan oven for these sizes please?

    Many thanks

  35. Lindys Team says

    Hi Emma

    I would bake at the same temp or slightly lower with a fan oven. As the original 8″ recipe is cooked for 1 hour, I would test the cake after this time and if not done, test every 10 mins. As all ovens are different it’s hard to give an exact time. The cake will be cooked when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

    Good luck with your wedding cake!

    Zoe