Description

Enjoy the perfect blend of natural sweetness and earthy crunch with this simple yet sophisticated carrot cake traybake. Topped with a silky, tangy cream cheese frosting, these moist spiced slices are ideal for lunchbox treats or afternoon tea.

Ingredients

2 large carrots, finely grated
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon mixed spice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
125g cream cheese, softened
50g unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 180°C (360°F) and line a rectangular baking dish with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the self-raising flour, brown sugar, grated carrots, chopped walnuts, and mixed spice.
Pour in the vegetable oil and stir the ingredients together until just combined into a thick batter.
Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared baking dish using the back of a spoon.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Beat the softened cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl until smooth.
Spread the frosting generously over the cooled cake and cut into squares or rectangles to serve.

Notes

To ensure a perfectly smooth frosting, make sure your cream cheese and butter are truly at room temperature before mixing. If the batter appears slightly dry, the moisture from the carrots will release during baking, but a tiny extra splash of oil can be added if it feels too stiff to press into the tin.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: British