Chocolate carrot cake
Serves: 10-12
Prep time: 1 hr 15 minsTotal time: 
Recipe by Jenna Leiter.Photograph by Charlie Richards.
Chocolate carrot cake
Serves: 10-12
Prep time: 1 hr 15 minsTotal time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
634Kcal
Fat
33gr
Saturates
20gr
Carbs
73gr
Sugars
52gr
Fibre
5gr
Protein
9gr
Salt
0.6gr
Sainsbury's magazine
Our team of trained chefs and skilled food writers love cooking up everything from innovative seasonal recipes or clever shortcuts, to step-by-step guides and classic recipes for friends and readers alike.
Sainsbury's magazine
Our team of trained chefs and skilled food writers love cooking up everything from innovative seasonal recipes or clever shortcuts, to step-by-step guides and classic recipes for friends and readers alike.
Ingredients
- 250g plain flour
- 65g cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 125g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 175g light brown soft sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 300g carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
- 150g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
For the carrot curls
- 2 large carrots, peeled
- 200g granulated sugar
For the cream cheese frosting
- 300g Philadelphia full-fat soft cheese, at room temperature
- 90g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 225g icing sugar, sifted
Step by step
Get ahead
Bake the cakes a day in advance, wrap in foil and store in an airtight container. Make the carrot curls a day ahead, store in a separate airtight container. Fill and decorate the cake up to 3 hours before serving. The sponges can also be frozen.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Grease 2 x 20cm-diameter cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.
- For the cake, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and add ½ teaspoon salt. In a separate large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar with an electric hand whisk until fluffy – this should take about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add two-thirds of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until just combined. Add the grated carrot and chopped dark chocolate to the remaining flour and toss well to make sure they are coated.
- Fold the carrot and chocolate mixture into the cake batter using a large metal spoon. Divide the mixture between the prepared cake tins, spreading it out evenly with a spoon.
- Bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave the cakes to cool in their tins for 5 minutes, then tip them out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6.
- While the cakes are cooling, make the carrot curls. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Use a flat-bladed peeler to peel long strips from the carrots. Place the sugar in a medium saucepan with 200ml water and heat gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, add 5-6 carrot strips, increase the heat to high and let them bubble away for 5 minutes. Remove the carrot strips with tongs and place them in a single layer on the lined baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes. Carefully and quickly lift the carrot strips off the tray and twist them around the handle of a wooden spoon. They will harden almost immediately into curls. Remove the set curls to a plate and repeat the whole process with the remaining carrot until you have enough curls to decorate the top.
- Make the cream cheese frosting by combining the ingredients in a bowl and whisking just until smooth.
- To assemble the cake, put one of the completely cooled cakes on a serving dish or cake stand and spread the cream cheese frosting on top. Put the second cake on top and finish the cake with the carrot curls.
