There are no less than 9 recipes for carrot cake on Bake Club - it's a perennial favourite for sure. This one ticks all the boxes for vegetables, nuts, fresh fruit, dried fruit, spices, healthiness and it's a double decker - all topped with the essential cream cheese icing. It's from Allyson Gofton's The Baker's Companion (Penguin Random House, 2019).


4 eggs

2 c grated carrot

1 3/4 c caster sugar

1/2 c raisins, plumped up by soaking in water or liqueur for half an hour

1/2 c walnuts or pistachios

1/2 c canned or fresh pineapple or peaches, chopped

3/4 c vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla, lemon or orange extract

1 c flour

1 1/2 c wholemeal flour

2 tsp mixed spice (eg cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda


Cream cheese icing:

500 g softened cream

1/2 c icing sugar

1/2 Tbsp lemon juice, optional

dash of vanilla, orange or lemon extract, optional

lemon zest, optional


Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan bake). Place 2 racks on either side of the centre of the oven.

Grease the base and sides of 2 x 23 cm round sponge tins and line with baking paper.

In a large bowl mix in the eggs, carrot, sugar, raisins, nuts, pineapple/peaches, oil and extract. 

Sift in the flour, spices, baking soda and baking powder, making sure the leaveners are evenly distributed. Stir until just combined.

Pour half the batter into each cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes until cooked through.

Leave in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

Make the icing by mixing all the ingredients together until smooth.

Once completely cool, place the first cake upside down on your serving plate so the flat bottom is on top. Spread with half the icing. Place the other cake upside down on top and spread with the rest of the icing.

Sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired.