Carrot and pistachio cake
Serves: 12
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Karen Thomas
Carrot and pistachio cake
We reckon this is the best carrot cake recipe going...
Serves: 12
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
791Kcal
Fat
49gr
Saturates
20gr
Carbs
79gr
Sugars
60gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
9gr
Salt
0.6gr
Sarah Randell
Our former Food Director, and previously food editor to Delia Smith, Sarah has written more than 1000 recipes for the magazine. She is also author of Family Baking and Marmalade; A Bittersweet Cookbook among others.
Sarah Randell
Our former Food Director, and previously food editor to Delia Smith, Sarah has written more than 1000 recipes for the magazine. She is also author of Family Baking and Marmalade; A Bittersweet Cookbook among others.
Ingredients
- 300g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon, plus a little extra to dust
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 4 large eggs
- 275g light muscovado sugar
- 250ml light rapeseed oil
- 400g carrots, trimmed and grated
- 100g roughly chopped pistachio kernels
- 100g sultanas
- zest of 1 lime
- a handful of blueberries, to finish
For the frosting
- 150g very soft unsalted butter
- 400g full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese, chilled
- 200g Greek yogurt, chilled
- 350g icing sugar, sifted
Step by step
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a bowl. Add the eggs, sugar and oil; whisk.
- In another bowl, mix the carrots, pistachios, sultanas and lime zest. Fold into the egg mixture. Divide the mixture between three greased and lined 20cm x 4cm sandwich tins. Level with the back of a spoon, then bake on the middle shelf for 25 minutes.
-
For the frosting, whisk the butter for a minute. Add the other ingredients; combine.TipIt's important to use real Philadelphia cream cheese for the icing, as it contains natural stabilisers that help give a thick and fluffy icing. Don't be tempted to use low-fat versions or 'soft white cheese' instead
- Cool the cakes, then turn out on to a wire rack. Layer the cakes with the frosting, then coat the outside. Dust with cinnamon and top with blueberries and lime zest.
