I have a recipe for carrot cake that has been my standard carrot cake ever since it was given to me by a friend from Australia. Carrot cake also happens to be my husband’s favourite cake, so this page of my recipe folder has become quite well-thumbed. However, our household recently suffered from a bout of a nasty, school-incubated sickness bug. The carrot cake that I had made on the day before it was my turn to suffer consequently remained in the cake tin largely untouched. When I came to dispose of its remains, I was struck by its oiliness. From that moment onwards, I began to wonder about the possibilities of using butter rather than vegetable oil in my carrot cakes …
After much trial and error, I have now come to regard this recipe as my new standard carrot cake. It produces a cake that is moist without being cloyingly oily and flavoursome without being fussy. And oh, this is a carrot cake that can be enjoyed ‘naked’ – my husband dislikes the usual frosting!
Carrot Cake
2 oz butter
5 oz caster sugar
2 oz light muscovado sugar
6 oz grated carrot
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
5 oz plain flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1/8 teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/350 degrees F. Grease and line a 20 cm/8″ cake tin.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the sugars and cook gently over a low heat for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the carrot, orange rind and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Sift flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spices into a bowl. Whisk to combine.
Add the carrot mixture and stir well until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the cake tin and cool on a wire rack.
amerrierworld.com 
Jeannette
/ October 13, 2007Kate, have you looked at Rose’s blog today, I’m sure you’ll be pleased!
amerrierworld
/ October 13, 2007Oh, thanks for nudging me! Yes, there was a lovely comment there about this recipe 🙂
Jeannette
/ October 15, 2007Hello Kate, After seeing the comment you received about your carrot cake I decided to try it out for myself. I usually use Mary Berry’s recipe and have always been pleased with how it turns out however there’s no harm in trying something else for a change!! I must admit I wasn’t expecting it to be my favourite recipe as it seemed rather plain, no fruit, nuts or suchlike but I was pleased and surprised with the outcome, the texture and flavour is really good. Until I tried it I thought it looked as though it needed a frosting of some sort but you are right , it can definitely stand on its own. I will make it again, perhaps adding a bit of fruit for a change or even a frosting but not because it needs it , just to make it my own! Thank you for printing it.
amerrierworld
/ October 16, 2007I’m so pleased you liked this carrot cake, Jeannette – thanks for letting me know 🙂 My chief testers wouldn’t eat it if I added nuts and things, which is why I kept it quite plain. But I’m sure it will be even tastier with some raisins (soaked in Cointreau perhaps?) and other fruits … Yummm!
jennifer
/ November 5, 2007made it tonight…I was too lazy to make icing but it went down well…infact my husband said its the most ‘cake like cake’ I have made yet! (I have made many, many dense dry cakes…this seems to be changing!)
Thanks
angela currie
/ June 16, 2008I don’t like to use vegetable oil at all so this recipe made with butter appealed straight away. I used a cream cheese frosting on the top and have had to make one per week for the last three weeks for ‘himself’ who reckons it’s the ‘best yet’..Thanks
amerrierworld
/ June 16, 2008Oh, that’s lovely! Thanks for letting me know, Angela 🙂 .
Lucy
/ August 6, 2009Hello Sis!
I like the fact that your recipe has butter too – and not much of it which is great. Does the cake have to be made in a round tin or would a loaf tin work too? If a loaf tin would work, would it be a 1lb or 2lb tin that’s needed? Sorry if they’re dim sorts of questions but I’m a dim sort of cake-maker!!
Luvnhugs, Lucy xx
amerrierworld
/ August 6, 2009Good morning 🙂
I haven’t tried it, but it should work in an 8″x4″ loaf pan (you can check this by filling it with water – both your round 8″ pan and the loaf pan should hold 4 cups (1 cup = 250ml)). It might take a bit longer to cook through in a loaf pan as it will be a deeper cake – I’d check after about 25-30 mins, then keep checking at 5 minute intervals. You can also plop some tinfoil on top if it looks like it’s getting a bit brown after 30 minutes or so.
Whichever pan you use, you shouldn’t fill it more than just over half-full with the batter. It’s better to make a couple of cupcakes with any extra batter than to cram it in and hope for the best (believe me, I’ve done it – it makes an awful mess on your oven floor!).
Good luck, xx
PS – the only dim questions are the ones that never get asked 😉 .
Shammin
/ September 22, 2009how many people does this recipe serve?
Shammin
/ September 22, 2009Could you tell me how many people this recipe serves?
amerrierworld
/ September 22, 2009It depends how much you like carrot cake and how hungry you are, Shammin. In my household, it would probably make about 16 to 20 servings – but you might like bigger (or smaller) slices than that.
Shammin
/ September 23, 2009Hi, one quick question – is it alright to make it 2 days in advance and keep it in the fridge?
Regards,
Shammin
amerrierworld
/ September 23, 2009That should be okay, Shammin. The butter will harden in the fridge, so let it come back to room temperature before serving.
Shammin
/ September 22, 2009Thanks a lot! I’m going to use this recipe and I hope to make it really soon. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks again 😀
Shammin
/ September 29, 2009Hi, the carrot cake was a big hit! 😀 I’m so glad i found your recipe! This is a keeper! Thanks!
Regards,
Shammin
amerrierworld
/ October 3, 2009Thanks for letting me know, Shammin! I’m pleased you liked it 🙂
Farida
/ November 20, 2009Hii
Thanks for sharing the recipe with us……i’v always been looking for one.i’m glad i came across ur.ill try it then let you know.
Keep up the good work………..thanx dear
Rebecca
/ January 5, 2012I want to try your butter carrot cake as it sounds lovely but was surprised to see it just has 2oz of butter in it, compared to much much more that other cakes have. Is this right? Thanks.
amerrierworld
/ January 5, 2012I haven’t made this cake for some time now, but yes, it has only 2 oz of butter in it. The grated carrot makes the difference. I hope you like it – do let me know how it turns out!
blackgirlinherts
/ December 25, 2013Made this for the first time today as my Christmas dinner pudding. I had to grind my cardomom pods and extract the seeds! It was well worth it. Absolutely gorgoeus tasting. My cake was a little lopsided but all of it was delicious. Thanks.
amerrierworld
/ December 30, 2013I’m so pleased you enjoyed this cake (and phew, what a responsibility to think you made it for your Christmas dinner pudding!). It’s been a while now since I last made it – you’ve inspired me to get the recipe out again …
Sonja Brown
/ January 31, 2015That cake looks beautiful. Where can I find caster sugar, muscovado sugar, and bicarbonate of soda or any kind.
amerrierworld
/ February 3, 2015If you’re in the US, then bicarbonate of soda is simply baking soda. Caster sugar is superfine sugar, and muscovado is a brown sugar with a strong molasses flavour. This page gives some more info – http://whatscookingamerica.net/Sugar.htm
I hope that helps 🙂