Mary Berry Carrot and Walnut Cake Recipe

This Mary Berry Carrot and Walnut Cake is a beautifully moist and spiced recipe, which is made with light muscovado sugar and crunchy walnuts. It’s a classic, foolproof recipe, perfect for an afternoon tea treat.

Mary Berry Carrot and Walnut Cake Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 250 ml (8.8 fl oz) sunflower oil
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 225 g (7.9 oz) light muscovado sugar
• 200 g (7.1 oz) carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
• 300 g (10.6 oz) self-raising flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 75 g (2.6 oz) walnuts, shelled and chopped, plus 8 halves to decorate

For the Cream Cheese Icing:

• 50 g (1.8 oz) butter, at room temperature
• 250 g (8.8 oz) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 25 g (0.9 oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar
• A few drops of vanilla extract

How To Make Mary Berry’s Carrot and Walnut Cake

1. Prep the oven and tins: Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4. Grease two deep 20cm (8in) round sandwich tins and line the bases with non-stick baking parchment.
2. Mix the cake batter: In a large bowl, combine the sunflower oil, beaten eggs, and light muscovado sugar. Whisk until the mixture is well combined, lighter in color, and has thickened noticeably.
3. Combine and bake: Gently fold the grated carrot into the wet mixture. Then, stir in the self-raising flour, baking powder, mixed spice, ground ginger, and chopped walnuts until everything is evenly blended.
4. Bake the cakes: Spoon the mixture evenly between the two prepared tins. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the cakes are golden brown, well-risen, and shrinking away from the sides of the tins. Let them cool in the tins for a few minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Make the icing: While the cakes cool, measure the room-temperature butter, cream cheese, icing sugar, and vanilla extract into a bowl. Whisk with a hand or electric whisk until completely smooth and thoroughly blended.
6. Assemble the cake: Spread half of the cream cheese icing over the top of one of the cooled cakes. Place the second cake on top, and spread the remaining icing over the top in a swirl pattern. Decorate with the walnut halves.

Recipe Tips

• How to get the best icing? It is essential to use full-fat cream cheese, and both the butter and cream cheese must be at room temperature. This ensures the icing will be thick, creamy, and free of lumps. Low-fat cream cheese will result in a runny icing.
• Can I make this as a single cake? Yes. You can bake the batter in one deep 20cm (8in) cake tin, but you will need to increase the baking time to 50-60 minutes. Check for doneness with a skewer.
• How to get a moist cake? The oil-based batter is the secret to a beautifully moist carrot cake that keeps well. Be careful not to overbake it; the cakes are ready when they spring back when lightly pressed.
• Can I use plain flour? If you don’t have self-raising flour, you can substitute it with plain (all-purpose) flour. For every 150g of plain flour, sift it with 2 teaspoons of baking powder.

What To Serve With Carrot and Walnut Cake

This classic cake is a perfect treat on its own, especially with:

• A cup of hot tea or coffee
• A tall glass of cold milk

How To Store Carrot and Walnut Cake

• Refrigerate: Due to the cream cheese frosting, this cake must be stored in the refrigerator. Keep it in an airtight container, and it will stay moist and delicious for up to 4-5 days. For the best flavor, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.

Carrot and Walnut Cake Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 765 kcal
• Fat: 48g
• Carbohydrates: 75g
• Protein: 9g

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Mary Berry Small Christmas Cake Recipe (6 inch)
• Mary Berry Royal Icing for Christmas Cake Recipe
• Mary Berry Victorian Christmas Cake Recipe

Mary Berry Carrot and Walnut Cake Recipe

Author: Chloe Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:British Courses:Dessert

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time: 35 minutesRest time: 45 minutesTotal time:1 hour 25 minutesCooking Temp:100 CServings:8 servingsEstimated Cost:25 $Calories:765 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

A classic, beautifully moist carrot cake from Mary Berry, packed with walnuts and warm spices, and topped with a simple, tangy cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

• Cake: 250ml sunflower oil, 4 large eggs, 225g light muscovado sugar, 200g grated carrots, 300g self-raising flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp each ground mixed spice & ground ginger, 75g chopped walnuts
• Icing: 50g room temperature butter, 250g full-fat cream cheese, 25g icing sugar, few drops of vanilla extract, 8 walnut halves for decoration

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C Fan. Grease and line two 20cm round sandwich tins.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, and sugar until thickened.
3. Fold in the grated carrot, then stir in the flour, baking powder, spices, and chopped walnuts until just combined.
4. Divide the batter between the tins and bake for about 35 minutes until risen and springy. Cool completely.
5. Beat all icing ingredients together until smooth.
6. Use half the icing to sandwich the cooled cakes together and the other half to cover the top. Decorate with walnut halves.

Notes

• Using full-fat cream cheese at room temperature is essential for the perfect frosting consistency.
• Do not overmix the batter once the flour is added; this is key to a tender cake.
• Let the cakes cool completely before frosting to prevent the icing from melting.
• This cake keeps very well in the fridge and is often even more moist on the second day.

Keywords:Mary Berry Carrot and Walnut Cake Recipe