This nutty ingredient will take your carrot cake to the next level

Name: This nutty ingredient will take your carrot cake to the next level
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6-8
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 3 large eggs; 180g light- or dark-brown sugar (I like a combination); 100ml sunflower oil; finely grated zest of 1 orange; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 220g coarsely grated carrot; 100g dried currants; 150g plain flour; 2 tsp baking powder; ¾ tsp baking soda; 3 tsp mixed spice; ¼ heaped tsp fine sea salt; 100g hazelnut meal

Helen Goh

May 23, 2025

Top the carrot and ground hazelnut cake with cream cheese icing or a dusting of icing sugar.William Meppem

easyTime:1-2 hoursServes:6-8

In this recipe, a hankering for carrot cake led to some fortuitous improvisation. I wanted a husky, wholemeal texture and flavour but realised too late that I didn’t have wholemeal flour. Staring at me from the cupboard was a packet of ground hazelnuts, so I added them instead. The nutty richness paired so well with the natural sweetness of the carrots, deepening the flavour but also tenderising the crumb.

I’ve added the obligatory cream cheese icing here, but the cake is also delicious all on its own with just a simple dusting of icing sugar.

Ingredients

3 large eggs
180g light- or dark-brown sugar (I like a combination)
100ml sunflower oil
finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 tsp vanilla extract
220g coarsely grated carrot
100g dried currants
150g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
3 tsp mixed spice
¼ heaped tsp fine sea salt
100g hazelnut meal

FOR THE ICING

150g cream cheese
75g icing sugar, sifted
60ml thickened cream
½ tsp vanilla extract

Method

Step 1
Line the base and sides of a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper and preheat the oven to 175C fan-forced (195C conventional).
Step 2
Combine the eggs, brown sugar, oil, orange zest and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth and well combined. Add the grated carrot and currants and stir into the mix to combine, then set aside.
Step 3
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, mixed spice and salt into a medium bowl, then add the hazelnut meal. Stir well to combine, then add to the large bowl with the egg mixture. Fold in using a flexible spatula until fully combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and onto a wire rack to cool.
Step 4
Meanwhile, to make the icing, place the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed with the paddle attachment until smooth (about 1 minute). Add the icing sugar to the bowl, together with the thickened cream, and continue to beat on medium speed until thick (1-2 minutes). Finally, fold in the vanilla and mix until just combined. Refrigerate the icing until ready to spread on top of the cake.
Step 5
When the cake has cooled, transfer it to a serving plate. Using a palette knife, spread the icing on top, swirling decoratively as you go.