I’ll be the first to admit that baking is not my strongest skill. But I will try to make just about anything. And I have tried several different carrot cakes in the past with some success but this one was the winner. I sat down and thought on the basics then added a few things that I think really really helped this to be a delightful and flavor packed cake. This Walnut Carrot Cake recipe was a hit on our Easter table, and has already been requested as a birthday cake in the near future.
The spices are what really set this cake apart. Most carrot cakes call for cinnamon and nutmeg. I took it a step farther by adding in ginger and cardamon. Essentially a carrot cake is a spice cake with carrots and nuts added in. The carrots give a great texture and add to the moisture level of the cake itself. I like the addition of walnuts because they are nutty but still soft and don’t detract too much.
As you can see, I went for the “naked” cake look when I frosted. There is enough frosting in the recipe to fully frost the outside and between the layers, they will just be thinner in the middle and on top. I wanted it to look a little more rustic in the end, so that was the only reason for that.
While you can purchase shredded carrots (as in carrots that are already shredded), I do encourage you to shred the carrots at the time you make this cake batter. When you use pre-shredded carrots, they usually don’t have the same water content as a freshly grated carrot will. This can lead to a drier cake. It also tends to give less carrot flavor to the cake in the end. You don’t need any fancy equipment to shred carrots. I just use a standard cheese grater to shred the carrot directly into the bowl.
Now Let’s Get Cookin’!
Walnut Carrot Cake
Equipment
- 2 9in round cake pans
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Cardamon
- 1½ cup White Sugar
- 4 Eggs beaten
- ½ cup Oil
- 1 tbsp Vanilla
- 3 cups Shredded Carrots
- 1 cup Chopped Walnuts plus more for decorating
For the Frosting
- 8 oz Cream Cheese softened
- ½ cup Butter softened
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- ½ tsp Salt
- 5 cups Powdered Sugar
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350degF
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and seasonings.
- Add in sugar, vanilla, eggs and oil. Stir to combine.
- Fold in carrots and walnuts, until fully incorporated. NOTE – Batter will be thick
- Line two 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Divide batter between to the two pan and spread out to the edges in an even layer.
- Bake in oven for 35 minutes (or until toothpick pulls out clean from center).
- Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Then use the parchment to lift the cake out of the pan and set on a wire rack. Let cool at least two hours (up to 24hours, in the refrigerator) before frosting.
- In a separate bowl, add cream cheese, butter, salt and vanilla. Mix together until smooth. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition. Once cake is fully cooled, frost and decorate as desired. Add walnuts if desired. NOTE Frosting can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
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OOOh, I just just swim in that frosting! I love nuts in a cake – so good.