Get this easy one-bowl carrot bundt cake recipe, that is put together in just 15 minutes. You just need a whisk and a spatula to do the magic. While the cake bakes prepare the easy frosting.
The bundt pan gives such an appealing shape to the cake that you hardly need to do anything except simple frosting.
Carrot cake is a true winter delight when the fresh juicy red carrots are plentiful in season. It is a great way to introduce carrots to kids who would not eat them in other foods. This carrot bundt cake is moist and rich with nuts and raisins.
The carrot cake is not very dense and not as light as a sponge. It gives a satisfying bite full of flavors. The bundt pan makes it very tempting, overall the recipe is versatile and can be adapted to regular cakes or cupcakes.
There is no absolute evidence about the origin of carrot cake but it is assumed that it evolved in Britain during medieval times from carrot pudding. In those days sweeteners like sugar were not easily available or very expensive.
So, carrots were used to sweeten desserts. Good news is carrot are less visible as you finely grate it. And the carrot taste it also undermined by spices and cooking.
This carrot cake recipe uses oil instead butter just like my oil brownie recipe and oil make it so moist. If you plenty of carrots in hand, you can also this quick carrot halwa recipe.
What makes this cake so moist?
- To make a light carrot cake you need an airy batter. This can be attained by beating the eggs very well until foamy.
- Secondly, you must not skip the sifting of flour.
- If you like to make moist carrot cake, this is a perfect recipe since brown sugar and a plentiful amount of carrots both help give a moist texture to the cake.
- Another tip is that carrot cake tastes moister the second day.
Ingredients
Find the visual for the ingredients to make carrot cake recipe in a bundt pan below.
- Eggs should be room at room temperature which helps beat more air in the eggs.
- Brown sugar: To keep things simple for everyone, I used brown sugar in the recipe. You can also add a little molasses for a richer taste. Avoid using granulated sugar.
- If you have jaggery available to you. You can switch brown sugar with jaggery in the same volume. Jaggery is naturally rich in molasses which makes it a better option for carrot cake. I tried this recipe a number of times with brown sugar as well as jaggery and I like the jaggery version better.
- Vegetable Oil: Traditionally oil is used in carrot cake instead of butter. You can use any neutral flavor oil like canola oil. I used sunflower oil to test this recipe.
- Baking powder and baking soda are rising agents in the recipe which lifts the cake and gives it a lighter texture.
- Ground Cinnamon: Carrot cake is traditionally spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and allspice powder. I used only cinnamon to keep it pleasant. I feel the overly done warm spices are too heavy on the senses. But you may add a pinch or two of any of your favorite spice like cardamom, clove, saffron or nutmeg. All are good choices.
- Walnuts are often added to carrot cake for deeper texture and taste but you can skip it for a smooth cake. Pecans make great substitue for walnuts.
- Raisin: Traditionally, raisins are not added and some people do not like tiny bits of a chewy raisin in carrot cake. So again raisin is optional in this recipe.
- Carrot: Yes, you add real carrots in carrot cake.
- All Purpose Flour: Use sifted all purpose flour for more air in the cake.
How to make it?
Lets begin baking the carrot bundt cake with this easy recipe!
Preheat oven at 350 F, 180 C, Gas mark 4. Grease a bundt pan of size 7.5 inches with a generous amount of butter.
Blend eggs with brown sugar until the mixture is light and airy.
Add a pinch of salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon powder. Add to the batter.
Also, add oil, chopped walnuts and raisins. Mix well with a whisk.
Add the carrots. (I used the fine box grater to grate the carrots.)
Sift the flour directly into to the bowl of wet ingredients. Then fold the flour with the help of a wooden spatula. (Do not over mix or gluten will form and will produce a tough cake.)
Transfer the cake batter to the bundt pan. Make sure to fill only ⅔ pan. The fluted tube should be visible and not covered in batter so you have a hole in the center of the cake.
Bake cake for 40-45 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 F, 180 C, or Gas mark 4. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer it to a wire cooling rack. Cool the cake completely before frosting.
Prepare the frosting by beating butter with a beater for 2 minutes. Add sugar little by little and mix well. Add ½ milk at a time until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Apply frosting on the top and sides of the pan with a palette knife. Alternately, you can also use a piping bag and frost a thick line along the grooves of the fluted edges. Garnish with whole walnuts.
Frosting
Since a bundt cake has naturally fluted sides you can enjoy it as it is. The most common frosting is a cream cheese glaze or chocolate sauce drizzled on the top that naturally flows between the edges.
For this cake, I used buttercream frosting. However, carrot cake is most commonly frosted with cream cheese icing. I've also tried cream cheese frosting with this cake and it tastes great too.
Cream cheese frosting: Take ½ cup cream cheese, ¾ cup confectioner's sugar, and 1½ tablespoon butter in a bowl. Beat all ingredients together until smooth frosting is formed. Double the recipe if you want a generous frosting for a round cake.
Storage: Always store carrot cake in an airtight container or in plastic wrap on the counter at room temperature. Consume within 2-3 days. Or keep the cake in the refrigerator and consume it within 6-7 days. You can also store in freezer for a months.
FAQ
Pineapple cubes can also be added to this cake. If you wish, you can add ¼ to ½ cup tiny pineapple cubes in the cake instead of raisin.
Adding less or no nuts and less grated carrots than mentioned in the recipe can also give you a lighter texture. I used 1 and a half cups of grated carrots, you may use just 1 cup grated carrots for a lighter less dense cake.
Yes, you can bake a carrot cake with the same recipe. Use 8 inch round pan or a 7-inch square pan to bake the cake. You need to double the frosting ingredients to make generous frosting for the cake. Divide the cake into two layers. Apply half frosting on the bottom layer and the remaining on the top layer. Garnish with whole walnuts.
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📖 Recipe
Carrot Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 7.5 inch bundt pan, see notes for more pan sizes
Ingredients
For cake
- 3 egg, at room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar, or jaggery, finely grated see notes
- ¾ cup vegetable oil, I used sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fresh cinnamon powder
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- ¼ cup walnuts
- a pinch of salt
- 1½ cup finely grated carrot, (170 gm)
- 1½ cup flour
For Butter cream frosting
- 1 stick butter, (113 grams)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1½ cup icing sugar, (200 grams)
- 1-2 tablespoon milk or cream, as needed
Instructions
For Cake
- Preheat oven on gas mark 4, 180 C or 350 F.Grease 7.5 inch bundt pan generously with butter and set aside.
- Beat eggs and brown sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy.
- Whisk in oil, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon powder, raisin, walnuts and shredded carrots.
- Next, incorporate flour into the mixture with the help of a spatula just until combined.
- Pour mixture in the greased bundt pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes, until toothpick inserted come out clean.
- Let the cake cool for few minutes then remove from tin and cool on wire rack completely before frosting.
For frosting
- Beat butter until fluffy with a hand beater or stand mixer. Gradually add sugar to butter while mixing on lowest speed.
- When all sugar is added, increase the speed of beater and add ½ tablespoon milk at a time to the mixture until it is form a soft frosting texture. Add just 1 or 2 tablespoon milk, as needed. Frosting is ready. You may cover it with cling wrap and store in fridge until cakes is cool and ready to frost.
- Spread the frosting evenly by circulating the plate and spreading the frosting with a pallete knife. Garnish with walnuts and serve.
Notes
- You can also bake this cake in 8 inch round pan or 7 inch square pan.
- Jaggery has high levels of molasses than brown sugar which make it a good option for this cake. Make sure to use finely grated jaggery so it melts easily.
- They cake is great for teatime when serve warm and freshly baked even without frosting.
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