This recipe makes a delicious spiced carrot cake with a cream cheese frosting. The carrot cake is full of spices and the amaretto (an idea I took from my mother) gives the cake an extra special flavour.
This cake is ideal for afternoon tea or an after dinner treat and is definitely sure to impress. The cake is light and moist and is adaptable to any other ingredients that you may want to add including walnuts, ground almonds or desiccated coconut. The hardest part to making this cake is to stop after eating one piece.
Ingredients for Amaretto Carrot Cake
Please find the full list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of the post.
For the carrot cake
- Flour - for this carrot cake recipe, I use self raising which includes baking powder. If you use plain or all purpose flour then use some baking powder.
- Bicarbonate soda - also known as baking soda.
- Spices - I use ground cinnamon, ground ginger and ground nutmeg to add flavour.
- Salt - I use fine sea salt.
- Oil - use a neutral flavoured oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil or rapeseed oil.
- Eggs - use room temperature eggs.
- Soured cream - use full fat soured cream.
- Vanilla - vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste is ideal.
- Amaretto - this is a sweet Italian liqueur with a nutty flavour.
- Sugar - I use a combination of soft brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- Carrots - use fresh grated carrots.
For the cream cheese frosting
- Butter - I use unsalted butter.
- Cream cheese - use full fat cream cheese.
- Icing sugar - also known as powdered sugar.
Decoration
- Pecans - for decoration, you can use chopped pecans or chopped walnuts.
How to Make Amaretto Carrot Cake
1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/350of/180oC/160oC fan and line two 23cm/9-inch cake tins with baking paper. Begin by grating the carrots and setting aside. In a bowl whisk together the dry ingredients: self-raising flour, bicarbonate soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt then set aside..
2. In another bowl, add and whisk together the vegetable oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, amaretto, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Combine well then add and mix in the grated carrots. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and continue to mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
3. Distribute the cake batter equally between the 2 baking tins. Bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place the tins on a wire rack and allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove the cakes from the tins and place on a wire rack to completely cool.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
4. Once the cakes have cooled, use a stand mixer or handheld mixer to beat or whisk the butter until creamy and fluffy, add the cream cheese and continue to beat, slowly incorporate the icing sugar until it has all combined and set aside.
5. If needed, level cakes then place one of the cakes on a turntable or cake stand. Add some cream cheese frosting on top and spread evenly using a palette knife. Place the second cake on top of the cream cheese and spread the rest of the frosting on and around the whole cake. Decorate with chopped pecans.
Recipe Tips
- For this carrot cake recipe, I used two 23cm/9inch cake tins.
- The Amaretto gives the cake a delicious nutty flavour but feel free to omit without changing the recipe.
- If you want your cream cheese frosting extra thick then you can add more icing sugar than I use.
- When frosting the cake, if you find that crumbs from the cake are mixing into the frosting on the cake then lay a thin coat of frosting on the cake, refrigerate for 30 minutes then put a second layer of frosting on the cake. This should give it a cleaner finish.
Nutrition
Nutrition based on 1 serving - Calories: 270kcal | Fat: 12.2g | Saturates: 4.65g | Carbs: 35.6g | Sugar: 29.5g | Fibre: 0.75g | Protein: 2.3g | Salt: 0.17g.
Storage
Due to the cream cheese frosting this cake needs to be stored in the refrigerator and can last for up to 3 days. Store in an airtight container.
Once frosted it can stand at room temperature for 2 hours before being refrigerated. If the weather is hot or humid then store in the fridge immediately until serving.
Ensure you bring the cake to room temperature before serving from the fridge. Unfrosted cake can be wrapped and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Recipes You May Like!
- Simple Pretty in Pink Velvet Tray Bake Cake
- The Most Sensational Double Chocolate Cake with Ganache
- Glazed Raspberry Cake
- Small Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake
The Most Amazing Amaretto Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the carrot cake
- 290g self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 180ml vegetable oil
- 4 medium eggs room temperature
- 150ml sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100ml amaretto
- 160g soft brown sugar
- 150g granulated sugar
- 350g grated carrots
For the cream cheese frosting
- 150g unsalted butter
- 250g cream cheese
- 600g icing sugar
Decoration
- 60g chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/350of/180oC/160oC fan and line two 23cm/9-inch cake tins with baking paper. Begin by grating the carrots and setting aside. In a bowl whisk together the dry ingredients: self-raising flour, bicarbonate soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt then set aside..
- In another bowl, add and whisk together the vegetable oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, amaretto, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Combine well then add and mix in the grated carrots. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and continue to mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Distribute the cake batter equally between the 2 baking tins. Bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place the tins on a wire rack and allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove the cakes from the tins and place on a wire rack to completely cool.
- Make the Cream Cheese Frosting: Once the cakes have cooled, use a stand mixer or handheld mixer to beat or whisk the butter until creamy and fluffy, add the cream cheese and continue to beat, slowly incorporate the icing sugar until it has all combined and set aside.
- If needed, level cakes then place one of the cakes on a turntable or cake stand. Add some cream cheese frosting on top and spread evenly using a palette knife. Place the second cake on top of the cream cheese and spread the rest of the frosting on and around the whole cake. Decorate with chopped pecans.
debs says
Delicious carrot cake