Carrot cake traybake

Carrot cake traybake is an easy traybake recipe made using carrots and olive oil and decorated with mascarpone frosting and pistachios. It is an easy way to make a large carrot cake perfect for sharing. Simply weigh the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients, mix, bake and decorate.

This cake is perfect for dessert, a snack or a teatime treat. It is ideal for entertaining and great as a regular family cake too.

One of the good things about his cake is that it will stay moist for several days so there's no need to worry about it being less than perfect after a day or two.

If you like carrot cake you may also like to try this carrot cake Swiss roll, a roll cake filled with cream cheese frosting, or these carrot cake muffins which are individual versions of a full size carrot cake. And for other tasty traybake recipes you could try almond slices made using frangipane or date and oat slices which are a portable snack ideal for picnics, lunch boxes or to enjoy at home.

The quantities in this carrot cake recipe are sufficient for 16 servings.

Ingredients for carrot cake

See the recipe card later in this post for quantities.

• Carrots - cook and mash before adding to the other carrot cake ingredients.
• Flour - plain flour (UK) or multi-purpose flour
• Baking powder - to help the carrot cake sponge rise.
• Light muscovado sugar - muscovado helps to create a moist cake.
• Ground spices - I have used cinnamon, ginger and mixed spice but you can vary this depending on your preference.
• Eggs
• Olive oil
• Vanilla extract

Ingredients for mascarpone frosting

• Mascarpone - this is the base of the cream cheese frosting.
• Icing sugar - also known as powdered sugar.
• Pistachios - use chopped pistachios or other chopped nuts to decorate the cake.

Prepare the cake

As this carrot cake recipe uses mashed carrots the first thing you need to do is cook and mash the carrots.

Then measure the flour, baking powder, sugar, spices and broken walnuts into a bowl.

Beat the eggs and add to the bowl of dry ingredients. Add the mashed carrots, olive oil and vanilla extract and mix well either by hand or with an electric mixer.

Bake

Transfer the mixture to a lined tin and bake at 160℃, 320℉, gas mark 3 for around 35 to 40 minutes until the centre of the cake is firm to the touch. You can check the cake by inserting a warm skewer and if it comes out clean the cake is cooked.

Leave in the traybake tin for around 20 minutes and then carefully remove and place on a wire rack to cool.

Prepare the frosting

Place the cream cheese in a bowl. Sieve the icing sugar over it and beat with an electric mixer or by hand until it is evenly mixed.

Decorate

Decorate the cake after it has cooled.

Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top of the cake.

Sprinkle the chopped pistachio nuts over the frosting to decorate.

Serving instructions

• Serve cold.
• Cut into squares or rectangles and serve either on its own or with whipped cream or pouring cream.

Storage instructions

You can store carrot cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. While the carrot cake sponge will last longer the cream cheese frosting will not keep so long.

Prepare ahead instructions

The carrot cake traybake can be prepared and baked in advance and then frozen without the mascarpone topping. Defrost and then decorate with the frosting and nuts.

Other traybake recipes