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Carrot Loaf Cake

carrot loaf cake
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4.5 from 4 reviews

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 2 cups [230 g] grated carrots, plus more for topping
  • ½ cup [105 g] neutral oil, such as canola
  • 2 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup [65 g] granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup [65 g] brown sugar
  • 1½ cups [195 g] all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¾ tsp ground caraway (optional), plus more for topping
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground cardamom (optional*), plus more for topping
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ½ cup [60 g] chopped pistachios (optional), plus more for topping
  • ¼ cup [40 g] raisins (optional)

For the cream cheese frosting:

  • 8 oz [225 g] cream cheese, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup [85 g] honey

Instructions

Butter an 8 by 4 in [20 by 10 cm] loaf pan, line it with a parchment sling,** and preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C].

To make the cake:

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the carrots, oil, eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until completely incorporated.
  2. In another medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, caraway, salt, cardamom, baking powder, and baking soda.
  3. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and fold together until there are only a couple of remaining dry flour streaks. Add the pistachios and raisins (optional) and gently fold to combine. Do not over-mix.
  4. Scoop the batter into the loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack for at least 45 minutes before icing or serving.

To make the frosting:

  1. While the cake cools, place the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat for about 1 minute. Drizzle in the honey with the mixer running and continue to beat for 1 minute more, until light and fluffy.
  2. Once the loaf has cooled, dollop the frosting on top and make swooshes with an offset spatula or knife. Decorate with pistachios, shredded carrots, caraway (optional), and cardamom (optional).

Notes

* If you skip the cardamom, you can add more cinnamon or even a small pinch of ginger, allspice, and/or nutmeg.

** To make a parchment sling, cut a piece of parchment paper to about 7½ by 10 in [19 by 25 cm]. Place the parchment sheet over the pan; the sheet’s length should go in the opposite direction of the pan’s length. Press the parchment paper into the pan so that it just covers the pan’s bottom and long sides. Fold the flaps so that they drape over the sides (optionally secure them with metal binder clips if they’re unwieldy). Press it into the buttered pan so it sticks really well.

Note on the pan size: This recipe has never overflowed during testing and it should not overflow on you if you use a standard 8×4 inch pan. But if yours does overflow, something has gone wrong with your ingredient ratios, oven temperature, or pan depth. If you’re making this for the first time and worried it might overflow, you can place a baking sheet on the rack one level down from the rack you’re baking on.

Find it online: https://cardamomandtea.com/40621/carrot-loaf-cake/