Carrot Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen.
A one-tin carrot cake studded with plumped sultanas, soaked in a buttermilk syrup while still warm, then topped with a thick cream cheese frosting and toasted pecans. Brushing on the syrup before the cake cools keeps every slice moist without needing a special occasion to bake it.
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Method
- 1
Soak the sultanas. Stir the sultanas and orange juice together in a small bowl. Cover and microwave until hot, about 1 minute, then let stand, covered, until the sultanas have softened and plumped, about 5 minutes.
- 2
Mix the batter. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan). Grease a 33 x 23 cm baking tin. Whisk the flour, mixed spice or pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until smooth, then stir in the shredded carrots and the sultana mixture. Fold in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula just until no dry streaks remain.
- 3
Bake the cake. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake until a cocktail stick inserted in the centre comes out clean, 33-38 minutes, rotating the tin halfway through baking. Set the tin on a wire rack.
- 4
Glaze and cool. While the cake is still hot, whisk the icing sugar and buttermilk together until smooth and brush the syrup evenly over the whole surface, using all of it. Let the cake cool completely in the tin on the rack, about 3 hours, before frosting.
- 5
Make the frosting. Process the cream cheese, icing sugar, butter, vanilla and salt in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed.
- 6
Frost and finish. Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake, leaving a 1 cm border bare at the edge. Sprinkle evenly with the toasted pecans and cut into squares to serve.
Storage
Covered with cling film and refrigerated, the frosted cake keeps for up to 2 days. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Free sugars
52.2 g per serving
104.4 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 208.8 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- box grater and food processor
- 33 x 23 cm baking tin
- whisk and rubber spatula
- wire cooling rack
- cocktail stick
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 840 kcal |
| Protein | 9.1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 94.7 g |
| of which sugars | 65.6 g |
| of which free sugars | 52.2 g |
| Fat | 49.5 g |
| of which saturates | 13.6 g |
| Fibre | 3.3 g |
| Salt | 1.36 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.1 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
