For a quick and delicious treat, try this Easy Carrot Cake recipe. It's a blend of sweet and savory flavors, featuring carrots as the star ingredient, mixed with a moist cake batter and a creamy frosting. Start by grating carrots and roasting walnuts, then whisk together egg, oil, sugar, and cake mix to form a smooth batter. Add in the carrots, walnuts, dried fruits, and a touch of cinnamon for a warm, spicy twist. Bake until golden and moist, then let it cool before spreading a rich cream cheese frosting and topping with crushed walnuts.
This recipe is perfect for a cozy baking session or a special occasion, offering a delightful mix of textures and flavors.
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
- 90g carrots (with skin)
- 1 egg
- 50g granulated sugar
- 50g vegetable oil
- 120g pound cake mix powder (Daiso product)
- 20g raw walnut dice (Daiso product)
- 18g dried fruit mix (Daiso product)
- 0.3g cinnamon powder
For the Frosting:
- 100g cream cheese
- 20g powdered sugar (Daiso product)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 20g raw walnuts (Daiso product) for topping
Instructions:
1. Prepare the Carrots: Wash the carrots and grate them with the skin on.
2. Preheat Your Oven: Lightly oil an aluminum pound cake mold and preheat your oven to 160℃.
3. Roast Walnuts: Spread the raw walnut dice on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and roast in the oven for 7 minutes. Then, preheat the oven to 180℃.
4. Prepare the Cake Batter: In a bowl, crack the egg and lightly beat it with a whisk. Add the vegetable oil and mix until it becomes whitish and thick. Gradually add the granulated sugar and mix until smooth. Stir in the pound cake mix powder, grated carrots, walnut dice, dried fruit mix, and cinnamon powder until well combined.
5. Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the mold, level it out, and tap it twice on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake in the oven at 180℃ for 35-40 minutes. Check if it's cooked by inserting a bamboo skewer; it should be sticky.
6. Cool and Decorate: Let the cake cool on a wire rack. For the frosting, mix cream cheese with powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Spread the frosting over the cake and top with crushed walnuts. Chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before cutting into desired-size pieces.
Optional Decorations: You can sprinkle cinnamon powder or rosemary on top for extra flavor.