Carrot Cake is the perfect all year round flavour. It has spices to make it warming and comforting or it can be served with cream cheese and fruit to make it light and summery. This Carrot Cake Traybake may look basic, but it can be dressed up or down to make a delicious table centre piece, or a functional but delicious cake for a snack.

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a carrot cake traybake with a slice cut out. The slice is on a brown spotty plate with a dessert fork and the whole thing is on a wooden chopping board

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Carrot Cake Ingredients
Pro-Tip - Frostings and Fillings for Carrot Cake
Carrot Cake Traybake Recipe

I remember when I first was given a slice of Carrot Cake. It was during the 80's when the F Plan Diet was all the rage, and eating fibre was something my Mum was living her life for. Carrot Cake, by it's very nature of having carrot's in it had more fibre, so that was what she made.

I was very sceptical about how it was going to taste. I had this feeling that it was going to taste healthy in some way. Was it going to be nutty and dry and a bit like rabbit food? I couldn't have been more wrong! It was delicious! And really not healthy at all or like rabbit food.

I have been a fan ever since. I have tweaked this recipe to not only be easy to make, but also be extra tasty and versatile. Carrot cake can take on any event and be a star. I have made carrot cake wedding cakes and also made them to eat at home with a cup of tea.

an entire carrot cake traybake covered in cream cheese frosting sprinkled with cinnamon

Carrot Cake Ingredients

Carrot Cake is dairy free up to the point that you frost it. The fat content in the cake comes from oil. I use rapeseed oil, but any low flavour oil can be used including sunflower or vegetable. I wouldn't use Olive Oil as it has too much of it's own flavour and may clash with the other flavours in the cake.

Carrot Cake should be rich in spices. I use both cinnamon and ginger. But you can use a mixed spice, and maybe some nutmeg. Trully whatever takes your fancy.

I like to include walnuts in my carrot cake traybake for added creamy crunch. I add them at the end and hand mix them in. These are optional and can be missed out or if you prefer pecans they can also be used.

Another optional ingredient that I don't use is raisins or sultanas. I have heard of people using them to add sweetness. Again, it's totally up to you.

a slice of carrot cake on a brown plate with a dessert fork, resting on a pink stripy tea towel

Pro-Tip - Frostings and Fillings for Carrot Cake

The classic frosting for Carrot Cake is Cream Cheese frosting. The slight sourness of the cream cheese pairs beautifully with the caramel sweetness of the cake. However, cream cheese is cheese, and therefore needs to be kept refrigerated. This may mean its not suitable if your cake is going to be a centre piece that's going to be left out for several hours.

As an alternative Vanilla Buttercream is pretty good. However, I have also used orange buttercream before. I have even bought Cream Cheese Emulsion to add to plain Buttercream. Cream Cheese Emulsion is a condensed flavouring to give buttercream a cream cheese taste. Any buttercream can be left out of the fridge so it ideal for celebration cakes.

I also have a post for Cream Cheese Frosting that you could check out.

a carrot cake traybake with a slice cut out. the slice is on a brown spotty plate resting on a pink stripy teatowel

Carrot Cake Traybake Recipe

Bronya Seifert

Carrot Cake is a versatile cake that can be dressed up as a table centre piece, or dressed down to eat with a cuppa. Its comforting and warming in winter, or can be paired with cream cheese and summer berries for any time of the year.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Course afternoon tea, cake

Cuisine American, English

Servings

Calories 327 kcal

Equipment

1 Mixing Bowl or Stand Mixer
1 Vegetable Grater
1 Disposable tray (I used 32cm x 20cm) but an 8" or 9" Square tin will work

Ingredients

200 ml Oil I used Rapeseed. See full post for alternatives
200 gms Light Brown Sugar
2 Large Free Range Eggs
200 gms Plain Flour
1 tspn Baking Powder
1 tspn Bicarbonate of Soda
1 tspn Cinnamon See full post for alternatives
0.5 tspn Ground Ginger
200 gms Grated Carrots
75 gms Walnut Pieces Optional

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 160c fan, 180 c, 350f, GM4
Grease and line your baking tin. If you are using a disposable tin there is no need to line it, just grease it well.
In a mixing bowl (or stand mixer) mix the oil and sugar
Add the eggs and mix well
Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and ginger and mix through
If you are using a stand mixer, remove from the mixer as the rest needs to be mixed by hand
Add the carrots and walnuts and mix through until well combined
Pour into your baking tray and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cocktail stick placed in the centre comes out clean
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.
Remove from the tin and transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool fully. If you are using a disposable tin, allow it to cool fully in the tin