This is a moist, dense and rich carrot cake, studded with toasted walnuts and sweet coconut.
It is so delicious on its own, I didn’t want to overshadow the perfectly balanced slices with the classic cream cheese frosting. A simple dusting of powdered sugar is what it only needs.
I’ve worked very hard for this carrot cake recipe. And so did the readers of my Turkish blog. I published this recipe four months ago and baked it three more times since then, based on the feedback I’ve got from readers. It was great at the beginning and now it’s phenomenal.
Plus, it is so simple to make. You don’t even need a mixer for this. Dry ingredients into one bowl, moist ingredients in the other. Mix them, pour the batter into your pan and that’s it. You are done.
My starting point was the carrot cake recipe from Shirley O. Corriher‘s amazing book Bakewise, which I can’t seem to put down since the day I bought it. I’m sure you wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the chemistry behind baking fascinates me. And this book is all about that – the hows and whys of successful baking.
As for the carrot cake, I must say I’ve made significant changes to her recipe. The thing is, it was too moist and too sweet for my readers’ taste. I didn’t notice at the beginning, but baking the same cake with half the oil and sugar with a couple of tweaks to the dry ingredients proved their point.
My addition of sweetened shredded coconut provides a tropical twist and blends in nicely with the rest of the spices. So don’t skip.
Hope you like it as much as I do.
MOIST AND GOLDEN CARROT CAKE RECIPE
Recipe adapted from “Bakewise” by Shirley Corriher.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1+1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1+3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of grated nutmeg
- 4 tbsp sweetened shredded coconut
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup grapeseed oil (or canola oil)
- 3/4 pounds finely grated raw carrots (about 2+1/2 cups)
- 5 ounces walnut halves, toasted and chopped
- 1 tsp butter, for the Bundt cake pan
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar, for serving
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350 F (170 C) and place a rack in the center of the oven. Butter a 9-inch Bundt cake pan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, shredded coconut and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs with the sugars until the batter is thick and light colored.
- Add the oil and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour mixture and stir just until incorporated.
- With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts. Pour the batter into the Bundt pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 5 -10 minutes invert the cake onto a serving platter.
- Right before serving, dust with powdered sugar.
It does look great!
I’m generally not a carrot cake fan. But your recipe sounds like it would produce a flavorful moist cake, which is what I love.
Hi Cenk!
I’m really glad to read this post and to have an “alternate” carrot cake recipe… I usually bake mine really moist- I use canned crushed pineapple (w/o the juice) and that adds a nice flavour but also adds a LOT of moistness to the texture.. I don’t mind moist, I am not a huge fan of super sweet, though!
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe and having people taste it… In France, carrot cake is not really common, and French people are often pleasantly surprised by the carrot cake I make for them…
I am also very interested in the chemistry of baking… I think it’s fascinating… Have you ever heard of molecular cuisine?
Take care and have a great rest of the week!
Thanks again for the recipe!
Leesa
Carrot cake is far and above my favorite kind of cake. I’m always searching for the perfect recipe.
I will definitely have to give this one a shot. I love all of the spices in it, as well as the coconut and brown sugar. The hallmarks of a good cake, for sure.
Beautiful recipe. Im definitely bookmarking this one 😀
Heavenly Housewife, Joanne, Leesa – Great to hear that! Please let me know how it turns out.
Leesa – Yes, I have, but the necessary ingredients are so foreign to me. I can’t imagine tackling a recipe anytime soon.
I’ve never seen Carrot Cake baked in a fluted pan before but it looks really good! I’ll have to give it a try. I love how you added coconut to the mix. I would’ve never thought of that!
Hi Cenk, do you have any idea why on some cakes we have to mix baking powder and baking soda? Why do we not use only BP or BS?
Thanks =)
Coconut (and yes, pineapple) are great additions. I usually adore the cream cheese frosting that goes on top too, but even simplicity has its occasional hits 🙂
Hi Cenk,
Could you tell me where I could find sweetened shredded coconut in Turkey?
Thanks,
Burcu
Burcu – You can find it at any supermarket, in the spice aisle.
Truly a lovely Bundt cake, and coconut and carrots are one of my favorite pairings!
it’s been so long since the last time i made carrot cake. this wonderfully simple recipe has just reminded me it should be time i crave for this!
I love carrot cake and am excited for what sounds like a superb recipe.
I think the next time I make it, I will put the nuts on top instead of in the cake. I always find nuts in cake so disruptive of cake texture, but I do like the flavor they add. And coconut, well, I certainly cannot resist coconut.
Looks and sounds delicious….Carrot Cake is Grumpy’s favorite cake so I will be trying this one out. 🙂
I didn’t know you could have carrot cake without the classic cream cheese frosting. I normally am not a major fan of icing, so this cake it perfect for me.
Stephanie – You can 🙂 I quite like icing myself, but this cake is very flavorful and icing feels like a distraction.
Rick, Sathya – Glad to hear you liked the recipe!
Hela – Thanks. Hope you like it.
I made mine in two cake pans. We didn’t put icing sugar on them but ate slices with butter. It was similar to zucchini bread so next time I will try it in a loaf pan or as muffins.
Thanks! Great recipe!
Yum, Am soooooo trying this @ home
Cenk, keep up the good cooking 🙂
I just made this today as muffins and they’re sensational, thank you!
Beautiful styling! I will definitely be trying this out. Thanks for the inspiration.
Do you know how to make Tavuk göğsü ?
Hela – I’ve never tried cooking it at home…
I am too busy to cook or bake anything but after reading this I decided to have a go…and ….this is the best carrot cake ever. Simple and tasty. Just love it.
Peter – Glad to hear you liked it!
Beautiful and delicious!
Looks so yummy!
My fave carrot cake recipe is this one from the Commissary cookbook. (Except that I don;t make the filling- it doesn’t need it. )
http://www.amazon.com/Frog-Commissary-Cookbook-Steven-Poses/dp/0940159732
This one of yours looks delish!
This was the exact style of carrot cake I wanted to make for my brother for his birthday when he came back from France. We made it together. What a perfect result, I was a hero. Thank all of you for your hard work in perfecting this receipt.
David – Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Hi!great blog and excellent recipes especially for chocolate fans!
Regarding this recipe, can i substitute canola oil with butter?
Thanks!
Elina – Absolutely.
Cenk merhaba,
havuclu kekin tarifi ingilizce ve turkce sitede farkli. Turkce tarifte su bardagi bir cup olarak kullanabilirsiniz diyor fakat bir cok malzemenin miktari farkli.
hangi tarifi tavsiye edersin?? Cup kullanabilirim. Cup setim var. Tesekkurler..
Bengu – Türkçe sitedeki tarif güncel, onu denemenizi tavsiye ederim.
Cok tesekkur ederim. Simdi yapiyorum!! 🙂