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Ottolenghi Carrot Cake Recipe With Cream Cheese Frosting

Sliced Ottolenghi carrot cake on a serving plate.
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5 from 22 reviews

Here is the best carrot layer cake, with a twist on the Yotam Ottolenghi carrot cake recipe. It is beautifully moist and filled with carrots, walnuts, warm spices, and a delicious cream cheese frosting. 

Ingredients

Scale

For a cake batter:

  • 1 cup + 4 1/2 tablespoons (160 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup +3 1/2 tablespoons ( 200 g) sunflower oil
  • 1 cup + 3 tablespoons (270 g) granulated sugar
  • 1.7 oz (50 g) raw walnuts
  • 1.7 oz (50 g) shredded coconut
  • 4.7 oz (135 g) carrots
  • 2 egg whites, room temperature
  • 1 pinch of salt

For a cream cheese frosting:

  • 12.3 oz (350 g) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 5 oz (140 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (70 g) powdered (icing) sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons (50 g) liquid honey

*Don't you have the correct baking pan on hand right now? Try this simple Cake Pan Converter!

** If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 340°F (170°C). Grease and layer the bottom and sides of an 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan with parchment paper.
  2. To make a cake batter, sift dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices in a large bowl and set aside.
  3. Whisk the whole egg with 1 egg yolk in a small, separate bowl. Place sunflower oil and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or a mixing bowl, and use an electric mixer. Beat for one minute at medium speed.
  4. Decrease the speed and add beaten eggs. Add chopped walnuts, desiccated coconut, grated carrots, sifted dry ingredients, and mix just to combine.
  5. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites with salt until firm. Carefully add the whites to the main preparation in 3 additions, mixing with a rubber spatula after each addition.
  6. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour. Check the cake's doneness with a toothpick or cake tester: the cake is ready if it comes out dry. Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool.
  7. To make a cream cheese frosting, place room-temperature cream cheese in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer. Whisk softened butter, icing (powdered) sugar, and honey in a separate bowl. Add this mixture to the cream cheese and whisk again.
  8. To assemble the cake, remove the cooled cake from the pan and cut it horizontally with a serrated knife or a cake leveler. Place the first cake layer on a cake board or a serving plate. Spread half of the cream cheese frosting.
  9. Place the second cake layer and cover the remaining cream cheese frosting with waves on top. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped walnuts.

Notes

  1. Use this simple cake pan calculator to recalculate the ingredients for a different pan size.
  2. Cover the top of the cake with foil if it starts getting dark during baking.
  3. Make sure the cream cheese (not cream cheese spread) is at room temperature.
  4. Make-ahead option: 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.   

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/carrot-cake-easy-recipe-yotam-ottolenghi/