Carrot Cake

Whenever I walk into a bakery for a pick-me-up, carrot cake is my endgame. It doesn’t matter what else that bakery is famous for, I’m going to walk out with carrot cake every single time. This Carrot Cake is one of my favourite recipes of all time, but I must be transparent with the carrot cake enthusiasts out there: it does not contain sultanas. Feel free to mix some in – ​75 g (2 ½ oz) would do the trick – ​but, as a personal preference, I like my carrot cake without (blasphemy, I know!).

Serves: 8-10
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35-40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

• 240g (8½ oz) plain flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 250ml (8 fl oz) canola oil
• 350g (12¼ oz) caster sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1½ teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 220g (7¾ oz) grated carrot
• 440g (15½ oz) crushed pineapple in juice, drained and roughly chopped (1 can)
• 125 g (4½ oz) toasted pecans, roughly chopped
• 75g (2½ oz) shredded coconut
• 1 batch of Cream Cheese Frosting (see page 287)
• 50g (1¾ oz) toasted pecans, roughly chopped, to decorate (SEE BROOKI'S TIP BELOW)

METHOD

To make the carrot cake:

1. Preheat the oven 160°C (350°F). Grease and line two 22 cm (8") round cake tins.

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the oil and sugar for a few minutes on medium speed.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat for 2 minutes.

5. Gradually add the dry ingredients, beating on medium speed until incorporated. Fold in the carrot, pineapple and juice, pecans and coconut.

6. Pour batter evenly into the cake tins and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

7. Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to cool in their tins for 1 hour, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

To assemble:

1. Once the cakes are completely cooled, use a bread knife to slice off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. (For a four-layer cake, cut each cake in half.)

2. Place one layer on your cake turntable and dollop a generous portion of cream cheese frosting in the centre. Use an offset spatula to evenly distribute the frosting over the top.

3. Stack each layer one at a time, placing frosting in between each layer and smoothing out before adding the next layer. Use the remaining frosting on top and sprinkle with toasted pecans.

STORAGE:
Store for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

BROOKI'S TIP:
To toast pecans at home, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread pecans over in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.