I was introduced to Carrot Cake by my sister in law Sophie, about 2 years ago. Her Carrot cake is, Hands down, the best I’ve eaten so far. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t think I would ever have dared to purchase or make a Carrot cake, simply because Mr. Carrot is not a very close buddy to me. Carrots have been my enemies since my childhood. My Mum has tried each and everything to feed me carrots, right from salads to adding them to my rice and pulaos and what not. Now with this delicious Carrot Cake, Carrots are slowly becoming my close friends. This recipe is a blend of 3-4 recipes that I have tried and combined, in order to get the perfect taste and texture as per my preference. I decided to share it with all of you only after my friends tasted it and said it was Super delish! It is a super moist and flavor packed cake. I’d like to share my recipe with all of you. This one’s for all the “Not-So” Carrot Lovers! Hope you enjoy it as much as my friends and I do.
Course Tea Time Snack
Keyword Cake, Carrot Cake, moist cake
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 40 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour10 minutesminutes
Ingredients
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Cups Sugar(Weighed and then powdered)
3 Cups Carrots(Grated but not too fine or it will get pureed)
1.5 Cups Oil(I have used sunflower oil.Please don;t use oil that has a strong flavour))
1 tspn Salt
2 Tspn Baking Soda
2 Tspn Vanilla essence
4 Eggs
4 Tspn Cinnamon powder
70 gms Walnuts chopped roughly(keep 20 gms aside for garnish)
Oil for gresaing the cake tins
Instructions
Keep all the ingredients ready before starting
In a Large Bowl, sift the All Purpose Flour and add all the other ingredients(except walnuts)
Note:-Sifting the flour is a very important Step for making any cake. The purpose of sifting the flour, is to break down lumps in the flour if any. Also, sifting helps in avoiding a crusty surface on your cake.
Now with a spatula, bring all the ingredients together
Now, with the help of an electric beater, whisk the ingredients for about 3-4 minutes
Note:- This is another very important step while making cake. Whisking a cake is nothing but allowing sufficient air to enter your cake, thus making it nice and fluffy. Do not miss this step.
After whisking all the ingredients, add the chopped walnuts (keep aside some) and gently mix it with the spatula
We will bake the cake on the middle rack with top and bottom heating.
Pre-heat the oven at 200 degrees celcius for 10 minutes.
Simultaneously, while the oven is getting pre-heated, with the help of a silicon brush, grease two ½ kg tins or one 1kg tin on all sides, right upto the brim. You can also use parchment or baking paper. Even if you’re going to use parchment or baking paper, do not forget the grease it once you place it in the tin
Pour the cake mix into the tins
Note:- Don’t fill the tin to the brim or else it won’t have space to rise and the cake mix will spill over. Fill it to only 3/4th of it’s space
Once you pour the cake mix into the tin, you will notice some air bubbles in it. Hold the cake tin on the sides and gently tap it once or twice on the kitchen surface so as to release those bubbles and sprikle the remaining chopped walnuts on the cake mix surface
Once the oven is heated, tuck the cake tin on the middle rack of the oven and turn the oven on. Allow it to bake for the first 10 minutes on 200 degrees celcius and then bring down the temperature to 180 degrees celcius for the next 30 minutes
After 30 minutes, check if the cake is ready. To check, poke a toothpick into the centre of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is ready. If the toothpick comes out wet, bake the cake for another 10 minutes and check.
Note:- Every oven has different settings and temperatures. Hence, in my oven, the cake is done in a total of 40 minutes time. But in certain ovens it could take 50-60 minutes as well.
Once the cake is ready, remove it out of the oven and keep it aside to cool at room temperature
Note:-If you’re going to work with it while it is hot, there are chances of it breaking since it is going to be super moist.
Note:-As soon as the cake is ready, it will have a crusty surface. Do not be disappointed. Just place a plate or a cover on top of the cake tin until the cake comes to room temperature
Once the Cake comes to room temperature, with the help of a knife, release the all sides of the cake from the tin
Place a plate upside down on top of the cake tin and turn it over so as to detach the cake on to the plate
Now gently flip the cake and cut it into the desired slices or cubes of your choice.
Carrot cake serves as a very delicious Tea time snack.
Safety Tip:- Do Not forget to use your baking gloves while placing, checking and removing the cake into and from the oven