Caramel Carrot Cake With Pecans

This Caramel Carrot cake with pecans 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 this 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 caramel carrot cake with pecans is a twist on the 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!

Jump to:

• What is a carrot cake?
• What is carrot good for?
• When is National Carrot Cake Day?
• What frosting goes on carrot cake?
• Why caramel carrot cake recipe works
• How to make a caramel carrot cake with pecans step by step
• Expert tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More delicious cake recipes you will love
• Caramel Carrot Cake With Pecans

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 special radar system to use at night. Consequently, the British government started a campaign to increase the consumption of the gorgeous orange root 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 the risk of cancer.
• 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.

When is 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 the International Carrot Day annually on April 4^th! This date is the second chance to serve a table with this classic cake.  

What frosting goes on carrot cake?

• 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 caramel carrot cake recipe works

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.

How to make a caramel carrot cake with pecans step by step

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 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 readiness of the cake 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. Soften butter at room temperature. Take it out of the fridge 2 hours before baking.
2. 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.
3. Keep grated/shredded carrots in the fridge till you are ready to use them. Make this step yourself a day ahead of time.
4. Feel free to replace chopped pecans with walnuts and to add raisins instead of coconut.
5. Switch sunflower oil for the flavorless grapeseed oil if you prefer.
6. Use store-bought caramel and candied pecans instead of the homemade ones.
7. Use cream cheese (not cream cheese spread) at room temperature.
8. Cover top of the cake with foil if it starts getting dark during baking.
9. Bake the cake one day in advance, wrap it in a plastic film and refrigerate. Next day, assemble the cake and let it chill for 2 to 3 hours before serving. 
10. Froze the unfrosted cake for up to 2 to 3 months. To thaw, just leave the cake in the regular fridge overnight.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to simplify this carrot cake

To simplify this carrot cake, use store-bought caramel and candied pecans or omit the caramel and pecan layer. The simplest version of the cake is a single-layered cake with the cream cheese frosting on top: do not slice the cake and use half of the ingredients for the frosting.

Can you decrease the amount of sugar in the cake batter?

Sugar is one of the ingredients of the cake that plays a role BEYOND sweetness. Sugar is responsible for moisture, texture, and structure of the cake. It means that sugar cannot be easily reduced in baking, trying to minimize the calorie intake. It cannot be easily replaced with honey, either. So, I would not recommend changing the amount of sugar in the cake batter.

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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.