Carrot Cake i.e crowd pleaser

Get ready for a slice of pure deliciousness! Today, we're baking up a wonderfully moist and spiced Carrot Cake topped with a dreamy cream cheese frosting.

For those of you who don't know, my family and I moved to Italy back in January. My youngest is really into his rugby here, and every Sunday (almost)  they have a tournament. Now, while the rugby is fun, the real highlight for everyone is the "terzo tempo" (the third half)! It's this amazing time after the match where all the families gather, and their gazebo is overflowing with incredible food – think giant porchetta, loads of delicious breads and focaccia, mini pizzas, cheeses, plus plenty of Prosecco and beer! And then come the dolci (desserts)! 

When I first went, I was a little nervous about bringing cakes, but I love a baking challenge and a bit of experimentation. So, for one of the tournaments, I decided to bake a carrot cake – it's one of my absolute favourites! I offered it around, and people took a slice with a bit of caution at first... but within two minutes, it had completely vanished! It was such a lovely welcome. 

So, here's the recipe I used. I've adapted it slightly to include more raisins and walnuts, as those are additions I personally adore! Let's get baking! 🥕🍰

What you'll need:

For the Cake:

• A little soft butter, for greasing your pan
• $\text{200 ml}$ vegetable oil
• $\text{200 g}$ light muscovado sugar (for that lovely caramel hint!)
• $\text{3}$ large eggs
• $\text{200 g}$ plain flour
• $\text{1 tsp}$ bicarbonate of soda
• $\text{1 tsp}$ baking powder
• $\text{2 tsp}$ ground cinnamon (for that warm spice!)
• 1tsp ginger
• 2 tsp nutmeg
• Zest of an orange (adds a little zing!)
• juice of one orange (makes it moist)
• $\text{200 g}$ peeled and coarsely grated carrots (about 3 medium ones)
• Optional additions I love: A generous handful of raisins and chopped walnuts!

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• $\text{100 g}$ soft butter
• Zest of $\text{1}$ orange
• $\text{300 g}$ icing sugar (for that sweet, smooth finish)
• $\text{125 g}$ cold full-fat soft cheese
• sprinkle walnuts on top

Let's Bake!

1. Preheat your oven to 180∘C (fan 160∘C or gas mark 4). Grease a baking tin (around $\text{20 cm}\times \text{30 cm}\times \text{5 cm}$ deep) with that little bit of soft butter, and then line it with baking paper. This will make sure our cake comes out easily!

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, muscovado sugar, and eggs until everything is smooth and there are no more sugar lumps.

3. Now, sift in the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Add the orange zest and juice. Whisk it all together until it's just combined – we don't want to overmix!

4. Gently fold in those lovely grated carrots, and if you're like me, a good handful of raisins and chopped walnuts! 

5. Pour the batter into your prepared baking tin and smooth it out so it fills the corners evenly.

6. Pop it into the middle of your preheated oven for about $\text{35-45 minutes}$. It's ready when it looks golden and a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

7. Once baked, let the cake cool in the tin for about $\text{10 minutes}$ before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Patience is key here! 😉

Time for Frosting!

1. To make the creamy topping, beat the soft butter with half of the orange zest using an electric whisk until it's light and creamy, add some 

2. Sift in the icing sugar and beat for another $\text{2-3 minutes}$ until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs.

3. Now, add the cold soft cheese and beat for a further $\text{3-4 minutes}$ until the frosting is fully combined, light, and wonderfully fluffy.

4. Once your cake is completely cool, spread that gorgeous frosting all over the top.

5. Finally, sprinkle the remaining orange zest over the frosting for a little extra flavor and a pretty finish.

Enjoy your homemade Carrot Cake! Let me know in the comments if you give this a try! 👇 Have you ever experienced the 'terzo tempo' at a sporting event? It's such a great tradition! 🧡