I baked this carrot , walnut and raisin cake a few days ago. It is a very moist carrot cake made with whole wheat flour, flavoured with spices and filled with walnuts and raisins. I had plans of dressing it up with some indulgent frosting, but at the end decided against it and enjoyed the moist pieces of cake as they were.
The cake had the hint of warmth from the spices, the added texture and bite from the carrots, the sweetness from the juicy raisins and the crunch from the walnuts. The whole wheat flour also adds it’s nuttiness. All in all, a truly wholesome cake. The cake come out delicious and moist (notice the number of times I’ve used the word ‘moist’!!) and is a delightful snack cake to be had with or without your cuppa.
Spices used-
The mixed spice that I used was from a jar of blended spices that included ginger powder, ground nutmeg, caraway, ground cinnamon and clove powder. If you do not have access to this spice blend, just ground cinnamon would also work well. But if you can grab hold of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove, and combine, it will definitely enhance the flavour.
Size-
I made two 6 inch cakes as I hoped to fill and top with some frosting but later decided against it. Like us, if you want to enjoy the cake as a snack cake, without frosting, you can bake it in one 8 inch pan instead of the two smaller pans. An 8 inch square pan would also work very well.
Baking time-
If you are baking in two 6 inch pans like me, then stick to the given baking time in the recipe. If you want to bake in one bigger pan, the timing will be similar. However, keep an eye on the cake after 20-25 minutes. It is done, when a toothpick inserted through the centre comes out clean.
Serving suggestions-
The best part about this cake is that you can either enjoyed as it is or dressed up. I baked two 6 inch cakes as I had intended to fill and top the cakes with some frosting. This can make a great centrepiece for a special occasion. But we ended up eating them as a snack cake without any frosting. If you want to enjoy the cake as a snack cake like we did, you can bake it in one 8 inch pan ( a square pan would be better) instead of the two 6 inch pans.
More baking recipes can be found here.
Continue reading for the detailed recipe for this ‘moist’ carrot, walnut and raisin cake.
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Recipe card-
Carrot, walnut and raisin cake
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 1⅔ cups whole wheat flour (I used atta)
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ⅜ tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp mixed spice (see notes below)
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- ⅔ cup milk
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven at 180 deg C and line two 6 inch round pans with foil or baking paper. (See notes below)
- In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, mixed spice, raisins and walnuts. Keep aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar.
- Add the eggs and whisk for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in three batches, alternating with milk and fold in.
- Fold in the carrots.
- Divide the mixture between the two pans.
- Place the pans in the centre of the pre heated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or when a toothpick inserted through the centre of the cakes comes out clean.
- Place the cake pans on a cooling rack for a couple of minutes.
- Remove the foil /baking paper and cool completely on the rack before cutting and storing in an air tight container.
- If you are frosting the cake, place one of the cakes on a plate/cake stand, cover the top with frosting and place the other cake on top. Cover the top of the second cake layer with frosting. Slice and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- I made two small cakes as I hoped to fill and top with some frosting but later decided against it. Like us, if you want to enjoy the cake as a snack cake, you can bake it in one 8 inch pan instead of the two smaller pans. An 8 inch square pan would also work very well. Keep an eye on the cake after 20 minutes; it will be done when a toothpick inserted through the centre comes out clean.
- The mixed spice that I used was from a jar of blended spices that included ginger powder, ground nutmeg, caraway, ground cinnamon and clove powder. If you do not have access to this, a mixture of a few from the above (namely cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove) will work well. Alternatively, just ground cinnamon would also work well.
Until next time,
Sunita
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