This is a really delicious and easy to make carrot cake that’s wonderful served for a celebration like Easter or just for a special occasion. It’s also great as a lunch box treat or serve a slice with an afternoon cup of tea for a relaxing and yummy break. Have fun decorating the cake for Easter using little candy eggs or other decorations like little toy chicks or candy carrots. You can use non-edible decorations as long as you take them off the cake before serving. Let the kids help you decorate for a fun project!
TIP For the spices in this recipe, we have used Cinnamon Bark essential oil. You can also use Nutmeg essential oil and Ginger essential oil, if you have them. Just add them along with the Cinnamon Bark essential oil to the wet ingredients. If you do not have Nutmeg and Ginger oil you can use ground spices and add them to the dry mix. As an alternative, you can use regular flour or Einkorn flour rather than self-rising if you prefer just add 2 tsp baking powder to the dry ingredients.
NOTE You can make this cake vegan by using coconut milk, coconut yoghurt and coconut oil in place of dairy and use *chia eggs in place of eggs. You can also use vegan cream cheese in place of regular cream cheese.
Try adding ½ cup grated zucchini to the recipe to add a little more veggie goodness, if you like, just press out the zucchini’s extra moisture before adding to the cake batter.
To make 2 chia eggs for this recipe mix 2 tbsp finely ground chia seeds with 5 tbsp water and stir well. Then allow to thicken for at least 15 minutes before using.
Ingredients
- Dry Ingredients
- 1½ cups self-rising flour or gluten-free self-rising flour
- 1/8 tsp ground clove (to taste)
- ½ tsp sea salt (to taste)
- Wet Ingredients
- ¼ cup melted butter or coconut oil
- 2 eggs (*or chia eggs see NOTE)
- 1/3 cup coconut milk (or milk of choice)
- ½ cup coconut yoghurt (or plain Greek yoghurt)
- ½ cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 – 2 drops Cinnamon Bark essential oil (to taste)
- 1 drop Ginger essential oil (or ½ tsp ground ginger)
- 1 drop Nutmeg essential oil (or ½ tsp ground nutmeg)
- 2 cups grated carrots (approx. 3 medium carrots)
- ½ cup grated zucchini (optional)
- ½ cup goji berries (Dried Wolfberries) or raisins (optional)
- Frosting Ingredients
- 1½ cups softened (room temp.) cream cheese (approx. 3 packages)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup or honey (to taste)
- 1 drop Cinnamon Bark essential oil (optional, to taste)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)
- 2 – 3 tbsp coconut milk (to thin frosting as needed)
- Cake Decoration Suggestions
- Walnut pieces or other nuts (optional)
- Easter eggs
- Mini vandy carrots
- Toy chicks, eggs or other Easter decorations
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 180C and prepare a loaf baking tin by generously rubbing with coconut oil or butter. You can also line the baking tin with baking paper if you prefer an easy cleanup. You can use any shape medium baking tin you like including a cake tin. To make a two-layer carrot cake double the recipe and use two cake tins.
- 2. Peel and grate the carrots and mix with the goji berries or raisins and set aside. Then in a large bowl mix together all the wet ingredients and add in the grated carrots and goji berries or raisins, gently stir to combine and set aside.
- 3. In a separate medium bowl mix the dry ingredients together and then gently fold them into the wet ingredients.
- 4. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for 25 – 30 minute or until the centre is cooked. Test by inserting a toothpick into the centre of the cake and when it comes out clean it is cooked. If the top is browning to quickly loosely cover with baking paper.
- 5. While the cake is cooling make the frosting by combining all the frosting ingredients in a medium-large bowl. It is easier to mix and spread on the cake when the cream cheese is room temperature.
- 6. When the cake is completely cooled, remove from the baking tin and frost the cake using a spatula to spread the frosting. Generously cover the top of the cake. If you have used a cake tin you can also frost the sides, if you like or leave them bare. If you have any frosting leftover, it will keep refrigerated for 1 week and you could use it on another cake or biscuits for a treat.
- 7. You can decorate the cake with a few nuts, little Easter egg candies and/or other festive decorations or just decorate the table around the cake. Serve the cake immediately or chill covered for up to 5 days
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