Italian Carrot Cake (Torta di Carote)

Quick Summary: Torta di carote is a moist Italian carrot cake made with pureed carrots, oil, sugar, eggs, flour, and orange zest, with no butter or spices. It has a soft, light crumb and bakes in about 45 minutes, finished with a dusting of powdered sugar.

What is Italian carrot cake?

Italian carrot cake, or torta di carote, is a homestyle cake found across northern Italy, sometimes made in a dome shape and called Torta Camilla. Unlike the spiced, frosted American version, it leans on carrots and orange for a fresh, light flavor and is often enjoyed plain at breakfast.

Also known as torta carote, the cake has a tiny twist on Brazilian carrot cake (Bolo de Cenoura in Portuguese), which blends carrots with oil. This gives the cake its bright yellow-orange coloring.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Lighter than American carrot cake: No butter, milk, or heavy spices, just carrots, oil, and orange.
• Soft and moist: Pureed carrots keep the crumb tender and naturally sweet.
• Easy for beginners: A simple one-bowl style batter with no tricky steps.
• Great any time: Perfect for breakfast, a snack on the go, or dessert with a little frosting.
• Family-friendly: An easy treat to pack in a lunchbox or bring to a school break.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Carrots are the main ingredient of the cake. Choose fresh, firm, and bright-colored vegetables; it is always better to buy them with their green tops attached.

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour or replace ⅓ of the flour with almond flour.

• Oil: The recipe calls for sunflower oil, but you can replace it with peanut oil, olive oil, or flavorless grapeseed oil. To make the cake lighter, replace the oil with the same amount of plain yogurt.

• Sugar: Use granulated sugar or caster sugar if desired. You can experiment with adding brown sugar, too.

• Eggs: The recipe calls for large eggs at room temperature.

• Orange zest: Make it fresh from an untreated medium orange using a zester grater or replace it with lemon zest.

• Baking powder: Fresh aluminum-free baking powder is the best for baking.

• Powdered sugar is used to dust the top of the cake.

Equipment

Here are the main tools you need to make this torta di carote:

• zester grater
• vegetable peeler
• food processor
• flour sifter
• round cake pan
• stand mixer
• rubber spatula
• Le Creuset springform pan

How to make Italian carrot cake

Step 1. Wash and peel medium carrots with a vegetable peeler. Cut them into slices. Transfer carrots to a food processor and chop them finely.

Step 2. Add the sunflower oil and continue blending until the mixture becomes a carrot cream (photo 1).

Step 3. Using a flour sifter, sift all-purpose flour with baking powder a few times in a separate bowl; set aside.

Step 4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush an 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan with softened butter and flour it.

Step 5. Place sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat for 1 to 2 minutes (photo 2).

Step 6. Add the orange zest (photo 3) and the creamy pureed carrot mixture, and beat again.

Step 7. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing gently with a rubber spatula, moving from top to bottom (photo 4).

Step 8. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface (photo 5).

Step 9. Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until golden brown (photo 6).

Step 10. Check the cake with a toothpick test: it's ready if it comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Step 11. Let it cool for a couple of minutes before unmolding it to prevent the cake from breaking.

Step 12. Pro tip: If you bake the cake in a Le Creuset springform pan, you can remove the cake immediately.

Step 13. Once completely cooled, dust the cake with plenty of powdered sugar and decorate it with candied carrots.

Expert tips

1. Blend the carrots with oil longer (up to 5-6 minutes) if desired. In this case, they will be blended perfectly with the batter.
2. Use a hand mixer to make the cake batter if preferred.
3. You can also grate carrots very finely if you don't have a food processor.
4. Using a silicone mold doesn't need to be buttered and floured before adding the batter. Read more about how to bake with silicone molds.
5. If you use almond flour, toast it lightly in a dry pan first for a deeper, nuttier flavor.

Recipe variations

This Italian carrot cake is a versatile treat that you can twist into countless shapes and flavors.

• Frosting: Top the cake with a simple cream cheese frosting. Or garnish it with chocolate ganache and serve it as dessert at the end of your meal or for a birthday party.

• Almonds: Replace ⅓ of the all-purpose flour with almond flour or almond meal to add a rustic touch to the batter. Or add 1.4 oz. (40 g) of chopped almonds to the batter to give your dessert an extra boost with their crunchiness.

• Flavorings: Add 1 tablespoon of Arancello orange liqueur for a fresh new take on an old classic. Or use vanilla extract or orange juice to add additional flavor.

• Add-ins: Enrich with 1 oz. (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder and some chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate.

• Make muffins: Divide the batter between muffin cups to bake single-portioned easy carrot cake muffins called Le Camille in Italian.

• Create a dome-shaped cake: Use a hemisphere pan to make a carrot-flavored cake resembling a classic Camilla cake (Torta Camilla in Italian).

Storing & freezing

Italian carrot cake tastes even better the next day, when the flavors have settled. The cake should be stored at room temperature on a glass cake dome, in an airtight container, or covered with plastic wrap for 3 to 4 days. It will remain soft and moist.

Can you freeze it? Freezing carrot torte is not recommended.

What to serve with Italian carrot cake

This torta di carote is delicious on its own, but a few simple additions make it feel special:

• Mascarpone cream: A spoonful of sweetened mascarpone cream turns it into a dessert.
• Cream cheese frosting: Spread a light layer on top for a nod to the American classic.
• Powdered sugar: A simple dusting is the traditional finish for breakfast or a snack.
• Hot drinks: Serve it with morning coffee, an espresso, or black tea.
• Fresh fruit: Orange segments or berries echo the cake's citrus notes.

Recipe FAQ

What is Italian carrot cake?
It is a moist, lighter carrot cake made with pureed carrots, oil, and orange zest, without the butter, spices, or cream cheese frosting of the American version.

What is the trick to a moist carrot cake?
The blend of pureed carrots and oil keeps this cake moist. Using room-temperature ingredients and not overbaking also helps.

Can I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil?
Yes. Light or mild extra-virgin olive oil works and gives a very moist cake.

Can I make it gluten-free?
Replace part or all of the all-purpose flour with almond flour or a gluten-free flour blend.

Can I freeze torta di carote?
Freezing is not recommended, as the texture is best fresh. It keeps at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.

Why is it also called Torta Camilla?
When baked in a dome-shaped hemisphere pan, this carrot cake is known in Italy as Torta Camilla.

How many calories are in a slice?
One slice has about 301 calories.

Love Italian desserts? Try these next!

• Torta Paradiso (Traditional Italian Paradise Cake)
• Torta Mimosa (Italian Mimosa Cake)
• Kinder Paradiso Cake (Torta Kinder Paradiso)
• Cucidati (Italian Fig Cookies)
• Crema Pasticcera (Italian Pastry Cream)
• Browse all the Cake Recipes

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was adapted from www.chiarapassion.com.