Description
Moist carrot and orange cake blends zesty citrus with earthy sweetness, creating a delightful dessert that dances between comfort and brightness. Creamy frosting and delicate spices elevate this classic treat, inviting you to savor each memorable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients:
- 2 cups white sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
Spices and Seasonings:
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Fruit Ingredients:
- 1 (11 ounce/311 grams) can mandarin oranges, drained
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare two 9-inch round cake pans with butter and flour coating.
- Blend dry ingredients including flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a spacious mixing bowl.
- Gently fold shredded carrots and mandarin oranges into the dry mixture until evenly distributed.
- Whisk vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and fresh orange zest in a separate container until smooth and integrated.
- Pour liquid ingredients into dry mixture, stirring carefully to create a uniform batter without overmixing.
- Evenly distribute cake batter between prepared cake pans, ensuring balanced layers.
- Place pans in preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, checking doneness with a clean toothpick inserted into cake center.
- Remove cakes from oven and allow to rest in pans for 10 minutes to stabilize structure.
- Carefully transfer cakes onto wire cooling rack and let cool completely to room temperature.
- Apply preferred frosting and decorative elements to create final cake presentation.
Notes
- Moisture Magic: Grate carrots finely for a super moist and tender cake texture that melts in your mouth.
- Zest Boost: Use fresh orange zest to enhance the citrusy flavor and add bright, aromatic notes to the cake.
- Gluten-Free Option: Swap regular flour with a gluten-free blend to make this cake accessible for those with wheat sensitivities.
- Dairy-Free Twist: Replace butter-based frosting with coconut cream or vegan cream cheese frosting for a plant-based alternative.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 336
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 230 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg