There’s always such great appeal about carrot cake. It’s the honest flavours that sing really loud. Like this glorious unassuming batter, saturated with the virtuous flavours of dark caramel, ajwa dates, carrots and walnuts. Topped with a yoghurt cream cheese glaze and a generous drizzle of honey to round it off. That’s it!
No Easter is complete without carrot cake and because we are still rounding off the Easter season, grab those dates and carrots still tucked away at the back of the fridge and let’s bake.
These mini loaves are perfect at the tea table.
I have yet to come across someone who doesn’t love carrot cake.
Moist, lightly spiced cake full of freshly shredded carrots all covered in a layer of yoghurt cream cheese glazing and walnuts and dates for that sweet crunchy taste.
This cake is so moist and full on flavour and texture.
I love the saturated flavour of the dark caramel, yielding the beautiful bronze colour of the cake. The cake can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Without the glaze, you can wrap it up in tight layers of plastic wrap.
This cake tastes better with time, so do not hesitate to make it a day or two ahead of time.
Honey, Dates & Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- CARAMEL
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup hot water
- CARROT CAKE
- 1 cup oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar ( use 1 cup sugar for a less sweeter taste)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 cup chopped dates or crushed pineapple
- 2 cups cake wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp all spice
- 2 ½ cups carrots (shredded)
- 80g walnuts
- GLAZE
- 150g smooth cream cheese
- 75g Greek yoghurt
- 2 tbs honey (to drizzle)
- 25g walnuts (chopped) (to decorate)
- ¼ cup dates (chopped) (to decorate)
Instructions
- CARAMEL
- Melt sugar in a clean pan.
- Swirl it until it caramelises.
- Add in the hot water
- Keep aside.
- CARROT CAKE
- Preheat oven to 180 degree celcius
- Mix the dates and walnuts with 2 tbs flour and keep aside.
- Sift dry ingredients into another clean bowl and keep aside.
- In another bigger clean bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla essence.
- Slowly pour in the cooked dark caramel.
- Fold in the carrots, then the dry ingredients until combined.
- Pour into a cake tin, 2 loaf tins or mini loafpans.
- Bake until golden and when a tooth pick inserted, comes out clean.
- I baked mini loaves and the pan took 20 minutes.
- A full cake usually takes around 45-55 minutes.
- GLAZE
- Whilst the cake is baking, whisk the cream cheese and yoghurt until smooth and fully combined.
- Swathe the glaze onto cooled cakes.
- Decorate with dates, walnuts and honey.
