Spiced Carrot and Coconut Cake

Name: Rukmini Iyer Spiced Carrot & Coconut Cake | Easy Carrot Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 125ml olive oil; 170g soft dark brown sugar; 3 medium free-range eggs; 400g grated carrot; 170g gram flour (or plain flour, if not making gluten-free); 65g desiccated coconut; 1½ tsp baking powder; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp grated nutmeg; 40g icing sugar; 180g cream cheese; 1 tbsp lemon juice

by Rukmini Iyer from The Sweet Roasting Tin

Desiccated coconut adds a twist to this classic carrot cake recipe, which is finished off with a simple cream cheese frosting.

Vegetarian Gluten-Free Baking Family Friendly

Serves 8

Total 55 min

Prep 15 min

Cook 40 min

Easy

Introduction from Rukmini Iyer

This is my all-time favourite carrot cake: the coconut and gram flour add a wonderful texture and flavour, and incidentally, make the cake suitable for gluten-free baking. If you don’t have gram flour to hand, you can substitute with ordinary plain or gluten-free plain flour.

Ingredients

125ml olive oil

170g soft dark brown sugar

3 medium free-range eggs

400g grated carrot

170g gram flour (or plain flour, if not making gluten-free)

65g desiccated coconut

1½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp grated nutmeg

For the icing:

40g icing sugar

180g cream cheese

1 tbsp lemon juice

Essential kit

You will need: a lined 20cm x 26cm roasting tin and a wire rack.

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/gas 4. Whisk the olive oil and sugar together, then beat in the eggs one by one.

In a separate bowl, stir the grated carrot, gram or plain flour, desiccated coconut, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg together, then add this to the liquid ingredients. Stir gently until combined.

Transfer the mix to a lined 20cm x 26cm roasting tin and bake for 35–40 minutes, until well risen and firm to the touch.

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the tin before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Beat the icing sugar, cream cheese and lemon juice together and spread evenly over the cake before serving (tiny edible carrots to decorate optional).

Preview