Carrot cake with walnuts and cinnamon Recipe
Moist carrot cake scented with cinnamon, which in Poland increasingly appears at home gatherings instead of heavy layer cakes. It’s a bit like American carrot cake, but less sweet and more “homemade” in taste. Perfect with a big mug of tea on a cooler day.
This carrot cake combines a moist, spiced crumb with a light, lemony cream cheese frosting, making it feel much lighter than classic layer cakes. The gentle sweetness of the carrot and the crunchy walnut accent are reminiscent of American carrot cake, but with a more restrained amount of sugar and a typically Polish, homely simplicity. It fits perfectly into the autumn–winter mood, when we’re looking for something warming to go with tea.
Chef's tips
Grate the carrot on the fine holes – it will blend better into the batter and keep the cake moist, but don’t squeeze it completely dry, otherwise the bake may turn out too crumbly. Only spread the frosting on a completely cooled cake; otherwise the butter and cheese will start to melt and run down the sides. When baking, start checking the cake after about 35 minutes – every oven bakes differently, so it’s worth doing a skewer test a bit earlier to avoid drying it out.
How to serve
It’s perfect for home birthdays, name days or intimate tea gatherings when you want to serve something impressive but not overly sweet. Serve it with a big mug of black tea with lemon, rooibos or a mild coffee with milk – the cream cheese frosting nicely balances the bitterness of the drinks. On chilly afternoons it makes a great dessert after dinner, and a small slice can easily be packed in a box and taken to work for a mid-morning snack.
Ingredients
- carrot - 250 g
- wheat flour - 250 g
- sugar - 160 g
- oil - 150 ml
- egg - 3 piece
- baking powder - 10 g
- cinnamon - 6 g
- walnuts - 80 g
- salt - 1 pinch
- powdered sugar - 80 g
- cream cheese - 200 g
- butter - 60 g
- lemon zest - 1 teaspoon
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Line a loaf tin or a round springform tin about 24 cm in diameter with baking paper.
- Peel the carrots and grate them on the fine holes of a grater. After grating, gently squeeze out the excess juice with your hand or through a sieve, but don’t squeeze them completely dry.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and chopped walnuts.
- In another bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar for about 3–4 minutes, until the mixture becomes paler and slightly fluffy.
- Pour the oil into the eggs and mix briefly, then add the grated carrot and mix again with a spoon.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold with a spatula just until combined, until no dry flour is visible.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin, smooth the top and place in the preheated oven.
- Bake for about 40–45 minutes, until the top is golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out dry. If the top browns too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminium foil.
- After baking, remove the cake from the oven and leave it in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let it cool completely.
- Prepare the frosting: beat the room-temperature butter with the powdered sugar using a mixer until light and fluffy (about 3–4 minutes).
- Add the cream cheese and grated lemon zest, mix briefly just until combined so the frosting is smooth.
- Spread the frosting over the completely cooled cake in an even layer and optionally sprinkle the top with chopped walnuts. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the frosting can firm up slightly.
Storage
Store the cake in the fridge because of the cream cheese frosting, preferably in a closed container so it doesn’t absorb fridge odours. Bring to room temperature for several minutes before serving for the best texture.
