What could be better than a slice of Italian carrot cake or Torta di Carote for breakfast? You will love this sweet, moist treat with an unforgettable flavor and taste. It's a perfect way to end your day with dinner or just dessert.
The Italian version of the carrot cake is not complicated; indeed, it is perfect for beginners.
The cake's texture is soft and moist. The combination of carrot and orange creates a delightful aroma.
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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 that gorgeous yellow-orange coloring.
Experience the unique flavors that set this cake apart from its American counterpart.
What is Italian carrot cake?
Italian carrot cake is a moist carrot cake of Italian origin made with grated carrots, oil, and a hint of orange (here is another name - carrot and orange cake). It offers a unique twist compared to the American version with its abundance of dried fruit, spices, and cream cheese frosting.
Why you should try this recipe
- Torta di Carote is a lighter alternative to a traditional Carrot Cake recipe without adding spices, butter, and milk. Carrots help make up for the lack of sugar by giving the cake an extra kick of flavor and natural sweetness.
- Like a moist carrot cake loaf, it is a delicious and nutritious morning snack you can take easily on the go.
- You can bring it to the office as a part of your lunch box or make it for your kids' break at school.
- This deliciously soft, moist cake is a must for any occasion; the whole family will love it.
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 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.
Recipe variations
This Italian carrot cake is the ultimate versatile treat, and you can indeed twist it 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 all-purpose flour with almond flour or almond meal to give a particular rusticity 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 one tablespoon of Arancello orange liqueur to give it a fresh new take on an old classic. Or use vanilla extract or orange juice to add additional flavor.
- Add-ins: Enrich it with the addition of 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 create an elegant dome-shaped cake with carrot flavors, resembling a classic Camilla cake (Torta Camilla in Italian).
How to make Italian carrot cake
Wash and peel medium carrots with a vegetable peeler. Cut them into slices. Transfer carrots to a food processor and chop them finely.
Add the sunflower oil and continue to blend until the mixture becomes carrot cream (photo 1).
Using a flour sifter, sift all-purpose flour with baking powder a few times in a separate bowl; set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush an 8-inch/20 cm round cake pan with softened butter and flour it.
Place sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat for 1 to 2 minutes (photo 2).
Add orange zest (photo 3) and creamy pureed carrot mixture and beat again.
Add the dry ingredients a little at a time and mix gently with a rubber spatula, moving from top to bottom (photo 4).
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface of the batter (photo 5).
Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until golden brown (photo 6).
Check the cake with a toothpick test: the cake is ready if it comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Let it cool for a couple of minutes before unmolding it to prevent the cake from breaking.
Pro tip: If you bake the cake in a Le Creuset springform pan, you can remove the cake immediately.
Once cooled down completely, dust the cake with plenty of powdered sugar and decorate it with candied carrots.
Expert Tips
- Blend the carrots with oil longer (up to 5-6 minutes) if desired. In this case, they will be blended perfectly with the batter.
- Use a hand mixer to make the cake batter if preferred.
- You can also grate carrots very finely if you don't have a food processor.
- 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.
Storing and freezing
Italian carrot cake tastes even better the next day when the flavors settle.
The cake should be stored at room temperature under a glass dome cake stand, in an airtight container, or covered with plastic film for 3 to 4 days. It will remain soft and moist.
Can you freeze it? Freezing carrot torte is not recommended.
Recipe FAQ
Using heavy cream or buttermilk instead of milk, brown sugar instead of white sugar, adding oil, applesauce, or high-fat dairy products, using room temperature ingredients, and following the recipe is the key to making a moist cake.
The blend of carrots with oil provides enough moister to the cake. Also, read on how to make a cake moist.
You can replace vegetable oil with light or mild extra-virgin olive oil resulting in an extremely moist cake.
Serve your cake with the mascarpone cream or accompany your morning coffee or black tea.
Love Italian desserts? Try these next!
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PrintRecipe card
Torta di Carote (Italian Carrot Cake)
This Italian carrot cake or Torta di Carote is a sweet and moist treat with an unforgettable flavor. It's perfect for breakfast or as part of your dinner table arrangement.
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
For the batter:
- 6.5 oz. (185 g) carrots
- 1 ⅓ cup (165 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup (110 g) sunflower oil
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ orange, zest
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for greasing
For decoration:
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- candied carrots
*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
-
Wash and peel carrots with a vegetable peeler. Cut them into slices. Transfer carrots to a food processor and chop finely. Add the sunflower oil and continue to blend until the mixture turns into carrot cream. Using a flour sifter, sift all-purpose flour with baking powder a few times in a separate bowl; set aside.
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush an 8-inch/20 cm round cake pan with softened butter and flour it. Place sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add orange zest and creamy pureed carrot mixture and beat again.
-
Add the flour mixture a little at a time and mix gently with a rubber spatula, making movements from top to bottom. Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface of the batter.
-
Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until golden brown. Check the cake with a toothpick test: the cake is ready if it comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let it cool for a couple of minutes before unmolding it to prevent the cake from breaking. If you bake the cake in a Le Creuset springform pan, you can remove the cake immediately.
-
Once cooled down completely, dust the cake with plenty of powdered sugar and decorate it with candied carrots.
Notes
- Blend the carrots with oil longer (up to 5-6 minutes) if desired. In this case, they will be blended perfectly with the batter.
- Use a hand mixer to make the cake batter if preferred.
- You can also grate carrots very finely if you don't have a food processor.
- Using a silicone mold doesn't need to be buttered and floured before adding the batter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 301
- Sugar: 21.1 g
- Sodium: 35 mg
- Fat: 15.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 38.8 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 47 mg
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.
Natalie says
I made this carrot cake some time ago, and today is another turn. I love the flavor, taste, and color of the cake. Easy to make is a plus!