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A whole two layer spiced carrot cake on a white cake stand with one slice cut from it on a plate with a fork beside it.
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5 / 9 votes

Spiced Carrot Cake

This spiced carrot cake is made with all the goodness of the classic including carrots, cinnamon, walnuts, and cream cheese frosting, but has an slightly exotic edge with the addition of chai tea and cardamom. A slightly more grown-up version of the original.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 736

Ingredients

For the spiced carrot cake

  • Butter for the pans
  • 1/4 cup boiling water
  • 2 English breakfast tea bags
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 3/4 cups light muscovado sugar or light brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups mild vegetable or sunflower oil
  • 3 to 3 1/4 cups carrots (about 5), grated on the fine holes of a box grater

For the cream cheese frosting

  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups cream cheese
  • 8 to 12 walnut halves, to decorate
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the spiced carrot cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter 2 round 8-inch (20-cm) cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  • Pour the boiling water into a mug and add the tea bags. Steep for 5 minutes before discarding the bags.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, pepper, and cardamom.
  • In a separate large bowl, thoroughly combine the sugar, eggs, and tea. Stir in the oil and then fold in the carrots until they’re evenly distributed.
  • Fold in the flour mixture just until incorporated, making sure there are no pockets of flour hiding near the bottom.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans and bake until the cakes are browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 32 to 40 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans before turning them out onto a wire rack.

Make the cream cheese frosting

  • In a large bowl, use an electric whisk to beat the butter and sugar until pale and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until just combined.

Assemble the spiced carrot cake

  • Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or platter. Spoon 1/3 of the cream cheese on top and, using a spatula, gently nudge the frosting right to the edges of the cake.
  • Place the second cake top side down on the first to ensure a flat top. Add the rest of the frosting, spreading it evenly with a palette knife or offset spatula. Scatter the walnuts on top of the cake. Slice and devour.

Notes

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White Pearl 13-inch Cake Stand by Costa Nova
White Pearl Plate by Costa Nova

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 736kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 28g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 245mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 44g