Carrot Cake Tray Bake

This carrot cake traybake is a great bake for Easter; it’s easy to make, quick, and incredibly delicious. And the best thing about it is that you can make it in advance; it tastes even better the next day.

There's something about the earthy sweetness of the mixed spice and carrots paired with the soft sponge and the smooth decadent cream cheese frosting that just works so impossibly well.

I really love a spice filled carrot cake but if you prefer the mixture between only cinnamon and carrots, you can leave out the ginger and nutmeg.

What I really love about this particular carrot cake recipe is that it is not overly sweet. This carrot cake tray bake hits all the right notes in every single bite. There is a perfect balance between the cake and the very sweet topping.

This simple cake is genuinely addictive - the perfect bake for Easter family gatherings.

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carrot cake tray bake

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INGREDIENTS:

Cake:

2 cups almond flour

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup shredded coconut

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups of shredded carrots

4 eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup nut milk

1/4 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Frosting:

100 g butter

250g cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 9 inch square pan with coconut oil and line with parchment paper, set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, walnuts, shredded coconut, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, salt and carrots.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, nut mylk, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir through with a wooden spoon to combine.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the surface out evenly with the back of a spoon. Bake the cake for 30 minutes or until the cake is set and a tooth pick comes out clean when inserted in the centre. Take out of the oven and set on the counter to cool down completely.

5. While you are waiting for your cake to cool, you can make your frosting. Add butter to a bowl of a stand mixture fitted with the paddle attachment. Alternatively, you can use a hand electric beater. Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Once the butter is whipped, add in the cream cheese, vanilla, and salt. Whip again until the ingredients come together. Add the powdered sugar, slowly. I added 1/4 cup of sugar at a time. Once all the sugar is added, add the lemon zest and whip one more time. Once the frosting is light and fluffy and the cake is cool, you are ready to frost your cake.

6. Make sure your cake is completely cooled or the frosting will melt.

7. To make the carrot design, I took 1/2 cup of the frosting and divided it evenly between two bowls. In one of the bowls, I added matcha to create the green colour and in the other bowl, I added turmeric powder to make the carrot. You can also frosting the cake and sprinkle chopped walnuts on top.