Carrot and Walnut Cake
Overview
A single-layer carrot loaf with toasted walnuts and cinnamon, made with oil rather than butter. No country is claimed. Carrot cake is European in origin, descending from medieval carrot puddings made when carrots were among the cheapest sweet things available. The walnuts are the point of difference from a plain carrot cake, and they earn their place for texture as much as flavour. A carrot cake is soft throughout, the grated carrot keeps it moist and there is nothing in it to bite against. Chopped walnuts break that up, and toasting them first, which most recipes including this one leave implicit, roughly doubles what they contribute. Using oil rather than butter is not a shortcut either. Oil is liquid at room temperature where butter is solid, so an oil-based cake stays soft when cold, which is why carrot cakes keep well for days while butter cakes stiffen. That is worth knowing if you are baking ahead. Two problems with the source. Its method calls for grated lemon zest that appears nowhere in the ingredients. And its servings figure of three is not credible for a full loaf tin, eight is realistic. This page and the South African carrot cake elsewhere on the site are different recipes for a similar cake, and are flagged as such.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Set the oven to 170°C, fan-assisted, and grease and lightly flour a loaf tin.
- 2
Whisk the sugar, sunflower oil and eggs together in a large bowl until well combined.
- 3
Whisk in the grated lemon zest and vanilla extract.
- 4
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, grated carrot, chopped walnuts, cinnamon and salt.
- 5
Work the dry mixture into the wet a little at a time until you have a smooth batter.
- 6
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and level the top with a spatula.
- 7
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- 8
Let the cake cool in the tin before turning it out and slicing.
Africook’s Notes
Personal notes from Sarah- Toast the walnuts before they go in. Ten minutes in a dry pan or a warm oven roughly doubles what they bring to the cake.
- Grate the carrot finely. Coarse shreds stay visible and release water unevenly through the crumb.
- Oil rather than butter is why this keeps well. Do not substitute butter unless you intend to eat it the same day.
- Do not overmix once the flour is in. Carrot cake is forgiving, but developed gluten still makes it tough.
- Cool it fully before slicing. A warm carrot loaf crumbles under the knife.
- Cream cheese frosting is the obvious addition. This version is deliberately plain and works as a teatime loaf without it.
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