Ottolenghi's Carrot Cake Recipe

This caramel twist on Ottolenghi's carrot cake recipe is a beautifully moist cake filled with healthy carrots, warm spices and layered with a delicious cream cheese frosting. Adding caramel with caramelized pecans to the chef's recipe takes the cake to a new level. Try it today!

I have been looking for the best carrot cake recipe over the last three to four years. I almost gave up on it!

But once I baked and tasted carrot cake by the Israeli-British chef Yotam Ottolenghi, my first thought was, "Wow!" It is fruit-free, not over-spiced, and incredibly moist.

This carrot cake with pecans is a twisted version of Ottolenghi's carrot cake.

Playing with ingredients, I made a two-layer carrot cake with the doubled cream cheese frosting and added salted caramel with caramelized pecans between the cake layers.

So, if you have already given up with carrot cake, you should try this one as a last resort. You will love it!

What is a carrot cake?

Carrot cake is a moist cake filled with grated carrots. Food historians discovered that its first recipe was published in 1827.

The cake became popular in Great Britain because of rationing during the Second World War.

In 1941, British scientists invented a unique radar system to use at night. It is considered that the carrot cake was born at that time.

The British government started a campaign to increase the gorgeous orange root consumption since it could improve night vision. It is considered that the carrot cake was born at that time.

The cake came to the States during the 1960’ and became one of the most famous American classic desserts.

What is carrot good for?

Carrots are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.

• Since carrots contain a significant number of antioxidants that reduce free radicals in the body, the orange root may lower cancer risk.
• Patients with diabetes may benefit from eating carrots since antioxidants with phytochemicals play a significant role in blood sugar regulation.
• Vitamin C of carrots helps boost the immune system during the flu season.

National Carrot Cake Day

Have you heard about the National Carrot Cake Day? This holiday is celebrated annually on February 3^rd in the United States.

It is a great chance to make a carrot cake or experiment with the cake batter, making muffins or cupcakes.

I will tell you even more! Carrot lovers all around the world celebrate International Carrot Day annually on April 4^th!

This date is the second chance to serve a table with this classic cake.  

Carrot cake frosting

Cream cheese frosting is a traditional frosting used for carrot cake.

If you look for other frosting alternatives, make the whipped cream frosting: whisk whipping cream with one tablespoon of icing sugar and spread on top of the cake.

Another non-cream cheese frosting substitute is vanilla buttercream.

If you want to go for a glaze rather than a thick frosting, make a lemon glaze by mixing 150 g icing sugar with 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. The lemon note will perfectly fit the cake.

Why you should try this recipe

1. Carrot cake is one of the healthiest cakes due to carrots included in the batter.
2. Sunflower oil and grated carrots are ingredients that provide the prime moisture for the cake.
3. Carrot cake is the best make-ahead cake whose maximum flavors get released the next day. Make the cake one day in advance!
4. The cake is so easy to make that even a beginner-baker would be able to perfect this cake. No pipping/cake decorating skills are required.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for detailed amounts and instructions. I recommend making this recipe as written for the best results. 

Flour: the recipe calls for all-purpose flour.

Baking powder, baking soda: these are leavening agents.

Spices: ground cinnamon, ground cloves are used for this recipe.

Eggs: the recipe calls for large eggs. To separate egg whites from the yolks, use chilled eggs and an egg separator.

Sunflower oil: switch it for the flavorless grapeseed oil if you prefer.

Sugar: use granulated white sugar.

Pecans: use raw pecans or candied pecans. You can also replace them with walnuts.

Coconut: use shredded coconut to make the recipe or replace it with the same amount of raisins.

Carrots: grate carrots finely, using the small shred of a grater or the shredding attachment on a food processor. Try to avoid store-bought shredded carrots since they are thick and dry.

Keep grated/shredded carrots in the fridge until you are ready to use them. Make this step yourself a day ahead of time.

Salt: it enhances the flavors of this carrot cake.

Icing sugar: you can make it at home with a coffee grinder or use store-bought powdered sugar.

Cream cheese: make sure to use cream cheese (not cream cheese spread) at room temperature.

Heavy cream: it has to be at least 36% fat content.

Butter: use unsalted butter at room temperature. Take it out of the fridge 1 to 2 hours before you start baking.

Honey: use your favorite honey, but avoid buckwheat honey due to its strong flavor. Use acacia honey as the most neutral one if desired.

How to make Ottolenghi's carrot cake

Preheat oven to 340 F/170 C.

To make the cake batter, sift dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.

In a separate small bowl, whisk whole egg with one egg yolk.

Place sunflower oil and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix for one minute, using medium speed (photo 1).

Then decrease speed and add beaten eggs. Add chopped pecans, desiccated coconut, grated carrots, sifted flour/spices mixture, and mix just to combine (photo 2).

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with salt until firm (photo 3).

Carefully add the whites to the main preparation in three times and mix them with a rubber spatula (photo 4).

Grease and layer the bottom and sides of an 8 inch/20 cm round cake pan with parchment paper.

Pour the cake batter into the pan (photo 5) and bake for about 1 hour.

Check the cake's readiness with a tester-skewer: if it comes out dry, the cake is ready. Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool (photo 6).

To caramelize pecans, place pecans and powdered (icing) sugar in a non-stick frying pan (photo 7).

Heat the pan over medium heat and mix with a wooden spatula until nuts are covered with caramel.

Transfer pecans on parchment paper and let cool (photo 8). Chop nuts into medium-sized pieces.

To make the salted caramel, heat granulated sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, shaking the pan over the stove.

Sugar will start forming clumps that will eventually melt into a golden-colored caramel.

Remove the pan from heat, add the butter cut into small cubes, and stir.

Add warm heavy cream (be careful of the splash) and bring it to cook for about one minute. Remove from heat and mix one pinch of salt (photo 9).

To make the cream cheese frosting, place cream cheese at room temperature in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer.

In a separate bowl, whisk softened butter, icing sugar, and honey. Add this mixture to cream cheese and whisk again (photo 10).

To assemble the cake, remove the cooled cake from the pan and cut it horizontally with a serrated knife or a cake leveler.

Mix the caramel with two-thirds of the chopped caramelized pecans.

Cover the first cake layer with half of the cream cheese frosting and caramel/pecan mixture (photo 11).

Place the second cake layer, cover with the remaining cream cheese frosting, folding waves on top.

Sprinkle with the remaining chopped caramelized pecans (photo 12).

Expert tips

1. Use store-bought caramel instead of a homemade one.
2. Use cream cheese (not cream cheese spread) at room temperature.
3. Cover top of the cake with foil if it starts getting dark during baking.
4. Bake the cake one day in advance, wrap it in plastic film and refrigerate. The next day, assemble the cake and let it chill for 2 to 3 hours before serving. 
5. Froze the unfrosted cake for up to 2 to 3 months. To thaw, leave the cake in the fridge overnight.

Frequently asked questions

Love cakes? Try these next!

• Apple and Olive Oil Cake 
• Layer Cashew Cake Sans Rival
• French Chocolate Cake
• Browse all the Cake Recipes

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The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator and is intended for informational purposes only and should be used as a general guideline. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should independently verify it using your preferred tool. Please, read the disclaimers in our Privacy Policy.

The recipe was adapted from https://ottolenghi.co.uk/. It was originally published on November 10, 2019. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.