Description
Homemade wholemeal carrot cake delivers rich, nutty flavors with each delightful slice. Warm spices and cream cheese frosting create an irresistible dessert you’ll want to savor again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1.5 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1.5 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Wet Ingredients:
- 1.5 pounds (680 grams) carrots, grated
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1.25 cups maple syrup
- 1 cup milk
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Nuts and Topping:
- 1 cup raw pecans or walnuts
- Cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare two 9-inch cake pans by greasing and lining with parchment paper.
- Gently toast the nuts in a dry skillet until fragrant, then roughly chop them into uneven pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients, ensuring even distribution of flour, spices, and leavening agents.
- Fold the grated carrots and chopped nuts into the dry ingredient mixture, coating them evenly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until smooth and well-combined, creating a uniform liquid base.
- Carefully pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture, stirring gently until just incorporated – avoid overmixing to maintain the cake’s tender texture.
- Evenly distribute the batter between the prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops with a spatula.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool completely in the pans for about 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool entirely before applying cream cheese frosting.
- Once cooled, frost the cake and garnish the top with additional toasted nuts for extra crunch and visual appeal.
Notes
- Toast nuts on a dry skillet for enhanced nutty flavor and crunchier texture, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Use freshly grated carrots for maximum moisture and natural sweetness in the cake.
- For gluten-free option, substitute wholemeal flour with almond or gluten-free flour blend, ensuring 1:1 replacement ratio.
- Reduce sugar content by using applesauce or mashed bananas as partial sweetener, maintaining cake’s moisture and adding natural sweetness.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 45-50 mins
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 314 kcal
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 4.5 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg