Easy Carrot Cake Recipe (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

01 - 1 1/4 cups of oil – sunflower oil is a good choice.
02 - 2 teaspoons of baking soda.
03 - 1 cup granulated sugar.
04 - 2 cups plain flour, measured carefully and leveled out.
05 - 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt.
06 - 1/2 cup of raisins or sultanas.
07 - 1 cup of soft brown sugar, lightly packed.
08 - 4 eggs, room temperature works best.
09 - 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon powder.
10 - 1 cup of pecans, roughly chopped.
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla essence.
12 - 3 cups of peeled carrots, grated finely. About 5-6 medium carrots.
13 - 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, soft for mixing.
14 - 1/3 cup heavy cream, very cold.
15 - 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted.
16 - Optional: 2 teaspoons of cornstarch.
17 - For the topping: 1/2 cup of chopped pecans.

# Instructions:

01 - Put your oven rack in the center and heat the oven to 176°C (350°F).
02 - Butter up two 9-inch round cake tins. Lay parchment paper on the bottom and butter over the paper. Or you can butter and dust the pans with flour all over.
03 - Mix the flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl with a whisk until it looks even.
04 - In a new bowl, stir together the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until it's all mixed up.
05 - Blend in eggs one at a time, whisking after each to get it mixed properly.
06 - Get a big flexible spatula and scrape the bowl’s sides and bottom clean. Stir in the dry mix in three stages, gently folding it in until there’s no dry flour left, and the batter looks smooth.
07 - Gently mix in the grated carrots, pecans, and raisins.
08 - Carefully spoon the batter evenly into the two tins and pop them into the oven. Bake for about 35–45 minutes. They should bounce back when you touch the tops, and a toothpick in the middle should come out without any wet batter.
09 - Let the cakes cool in the tins for 15 minutes before flipping them onto cooling racks. Peel off the parchment paper, and let them cool completely.
10 - Use a handheld mixer on medium speed to beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. This takes about a minute.
11 - Add powdered sugar and, if you want, cornstarch too. Beat until smooth again.
12 - Pour the cold cream into the mix and whisk on medium speed for around 2–3 minutes or until it’s fluffy and whipped. Leave it in the fridge until ready to use.
13 - Once the cakes are totally cooled off, spread some frosting over one layer, then set the second cake layer on top.
14 - Add all the leftover frosting onto the top to coat the carrot cake. Make simple swirls with a spatula or knife. If you’d like, sprinkle pecans on top.

# Notes:

01 - Keep frosted carrot cake in the fridge and it’ll stay good for up to a week.
02 - To keep the cake fresh, either wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or store it in a covered cake holder.
03 - You can adapt this recipe to bake around 24 cupcakes, which only take 14–18 minutes in the oven.
04 - Although the frosting isn’t great for freezing, the cake layers (unfrosted) will stay fine in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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