European cuisine is my weakness when it comes to bakeries. Cakes, cookies, biscuits, cupcakes, pasta, pizza, or other fantastic treats are always enjoyable to savor.
English bakery is also a temptation to me with their famous pound cakes, which create a real basis for many versatile cakes. Carrot Cake is one of them, with a rich texture that I am a big fan of. I have a good collection of carrot cakes recipe, and I am always struggling with different new ones.Â
Today was my first experience with Pound Carrot Cake with mascarpone frosting, which turned out not on a positive note. If I had more patience and cooled the cake completely, the result would have been much better. Any bakery should be done in love, with a peaceful mind and patience. And telling the truth, it tastes heavenly, even if its decorating failed.
I will describe below how was my new experience, but now I want to talk about this versatile and decadent carrot cake, which is fantastic and fabulous.
Perfect for any occasion, carrot cake is one of those cakes I cook most of all. You can not go wrong with this recipe. So, for anyone afraid of baking, this is a simple recipe to astonish your family and guests.
I like when carrot cakes are ultra moist, dense, and aromatic. I know this is all about calories, but it is worth it. When baking, the aroma in the house is mouthwatering, and my kids are always unwilling to wait until it cools down properly. A perfect family dinner can not be complete without a delicious piece of cake or tart so this carrot cake will end up on a positive note.
How to Make Carrot Pound Cake?
This moist carrot pound cake can serve you as dessert, breakfast, or even a snack and is done in less than an hour.Â
To make this carrot pound cake, we start with carrots. First, wash, peel and grate carrots. Use a grater with medium size holes. Transfer shredded carrots to a large mixing bowl. Add the zest of one lemon and one orange. Squeeze the juice from these citruses. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs with brown sugar. When the sugar has melted, add vegetable oil. I have used sunflower oil as it has a neutral taste. I do not want to add any additional flavor to my cake. Now combine the carrot mixture with the egg one. Set aside.
In a dry mixing bowl, sift the flour and add the remaining dry ingredients: a pinch of salt, baking powder, baking soda, and warm spices. I opted for grated nutmeg and cinnamon. You can add a bit of ginger powder and cloves if you desire. Once combined, incorporate them into the carrot mixture. Mix well, and then add some chopped nuts. I have added walnuts, but you can go with any nuts you desire.
Grease a loaf pan with butter. Pour the carrot cake batter into it. Bake the pound cake in preheated oven at 350°F for 45 – 50 minutes.
How to decorate Carrot Pound Cake?
This carrot pound cake is truly divine. But I decided to make the citrusy frosting for the utmost decadence and some fancy look. My decision was based on the ingredient I found in my fridge – mascarpone and oranges. Either way, this carrot pound cake was new in my carrot cakes collection, and I will fix my failure with frosting (noticeable in photos) next time. As I said – just more patience!
You can do it simply without it if you’d like, as the cake is incredibly delicious all on its own. Â
The frosting is pretty simple. First, beat the whipping cream with icing sugar. Then add the zest from one orange and mascarpone. Beat at low speed for some minutes until you obtain fluffy peaks. Chill in a fridge until you are ready to use it.
Once the carrot pound cake cools completely, decorate it with mascarpone frosting.
You get a chance to enjoy this decadent carrot pound cake recipe in the coming holidays. A cup of coffee and a piece of this cake is sometimes all you need to enjoy the moment.
Tips:
To get a perfect batter that comes together evenly, ensure you bring any cold ingredients to room temperature.
Brown sugar: any sugar work for carrot cake, but believe me, nothing compares to the caramel flavor of brown sugar.
Warm spices: I have used just cinnamon and nutmeg for this recipe. But you can add or skip any warm spices based on your taste: cloves, ginger.Â
Carrot: use carrots shredded by yourself rather than buying pre-shredded ones. Store-bought grated carrots usually come dry.Â
Loaf pan: I went wrong with a loaf pan this time too. I bought a new silicone one. I like to use silicone pans for baking as cakes do not stick to the edges. But my new pan has very soft edges. And once I transferred the batter into it, the edges spilled, and the inside space became wider; thus, the shape changed. However, that had no impact on the taste cake’s taste. Ensure you grab a loaf pan you have used before.
Simple Carrot Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 loaf pan
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 3/4 cups shredded carrot
- 1/2 cup oil
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup walnuts
- juice of 1 lemon
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 1 orange
- juice of 1/2 orange
- pinch of salt
Mascarpone frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups mascarpone
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp icing sugar
- zest of 1 orange
Instructions
- Wash, peel, and grate carrots. Use a grater with medium size holes. Transfer shredded carrots to a large mixing bowl. Add the zest of one lemon and one orange. Squeeze the juice from these citruses.
- In a separate bowl, beat eggs with brown sugar. When the sugar has melted, add vegetable oil. I have used sunflower oil as it has a neutral taste. I do not want to add any additional flavor to my cake. Now combine the carrot mixture with the egg one.
- In a dry mixing bowl, sift the flour and add the remaining dry ingredients: a pinch of salt, baking powder, baking soda, and warm spices. I opted for grated nutmeg and cinnamon. Once combined, incorporate them into the carrot mixture. Mix well, and then add some chopped nuts.
- Grease a loaf pan with butter. Pour the carrot cake batter into it. Bake the pound cake in preheated oven at 350°F for 45 - 50 minutes.
- For the frosting: Beat the whipping cream with icing sugar. Then add the zest from one orange and mascarpone. Beat at low speed for some minutes until you obtain fluffy peaks.
- Once the carrot pound cake cools completely, decorate it with mascarpone frosting.
4 comments
Confused about the recipe regarding the lemon and orange zest and juice. Should it be the zest AND juice for one lemon AND one orange?
Dear Rita,
It should be the Zest of one lemon and one orange
And Juice of one lemon and 1/2 orange!
Loaf pan size not listed! Is it a 9×5 or 8×4? Big difference when reading the recipe for the first time.
hello Anne!
Mine is 9*5! but it was not the best quality and did not keep the right form!