Carrot cake with cardamom and orange buttercream

30 mins cooking time

Cook, with a few ingredients, some aromatic spices and delicious carrots, you canyou’re your mark on a classic. With layers of aromatic nutmeg, cinnamon, toasted pistachios, and a rich orange and cardamom icing, this carrot cake is impossible to resist. So, mix the flour, crack those eggs and bake up a showstopper, perfect for special occasions or simply as a delicious treat.

Carrot cake with cardamom and orange buttercream

30 mins cooking time

Ingredients

8 portions

150 g Lurpak® Plant Based, melted

150 g soft light brown sugar

3 medium free-range eggs

200 g self-raising flour, sieved

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp grated nutmeg

200 g carrots, peeled and finely grated

50 g pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped, plus extra to decorate

Buttercream frosting

200 g Lurpak® Plant Based

400 g icing sugar, sieved

2 tsp ground cardamom

2 oranges, zest

2 tbsp milk

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Method

Cakes

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4.

Grease and line two spring form tins of 20cm in diameter.

In a large bowl, beat Lurpak® Plant Based, sugar, and eggs until light and fluffy. You want the mixture to have almost doubled in volume.

Allow the melted Lurpak® Plant Based to cool slightly before beating it with the eggs and sugar to prevent the eggs from cooking. This guarantees a smooth batter and a deliciously soft cake.

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Mix flour, baking soda, salt, and spices and gently fold these into the mixture, trying not to knock out any air.

Gently fold in carrots and pistachios and divide the mixture evenly between the two tins.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 25-30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake. Cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack.

Let the cake cool before adding the buttercream to prevent it from sliding or falling off. It pays off in the end, as it makes piping a lot more manageable. After flipping the cake out of the tin, let it sit at room temperature for a while or pop it in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

Buttercream frosting

Beat Lurpak® Plant Based for about 5 minutes until very light and fluffy. Add icing sugar, cardamom, and orange zest and beat again until fully mixed.

For a creamy and stable frosting, use softened Lurpak® Plant-Based. Ensure it is soft enough to blend smoothly with powdered sugar and other ingredients but not so warm that it becomes runny. Softened Lurpak® Plant Based will create a frosting that is easy to spread and holds its shape well. If it is too firm, the frosting will be difficult to work with; if it is too soft, it may not set properly. Aim for a consistency that allows for easy mixing and spreading.

Add milk slowly and beat, adding just enough to loosen the mixture.

Light and fluffy buttercream

Cover the top of the first cake with half of the frosting and place the second cake on top. Then, cover the top with the other half of the frosting and sprinkle it with chopped pistachios.

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Enjoy a classic carrot cake with orange frosting

You can never go wrong with a classic, and this lavish carrot cake is no exception. Indulge in the sweetness of carrots, the warm spice of cinnamon and nutmeg, and the zestiness of orange buttercream frosting. The batter contains lightly roasted pistachios to add crunch and flavour, and the top buttercream layer is sprinkled with bright green pistachios to take the cake from simple to glorious.

Discover the delicious orange and cardamom buttercream frosting

With Lurpak® Plant Based in hand, you can make the most delicious buttercream frosting. The orange and cardamom flavour is a showstopper that takes the carrot cake to new heights. It gives it a zesty kick that complements the sweetness from the icing sugar and Lurpak® Plant Based, and it makes it look beautiful and inviting.

Try other sweet recipes with Lurpak® Plant Based. We have a classic apple and blackberry pie served with vanilla ice cream and a moist banana walnut bread. For a not-so-sweet but still fruity recipe, try our breakfast muffins with an oat crumble topping.

The beautiful combination of carrot cake and warm spices

Greatness comes with warm, cosy flavours. The aromatic notes of nutmeg and cinnamon are perfect against the subtle sweetness of grated carrots, adding depth and bringing a spiced warmth that makes each bite call out for more. Pistachios, both in the cake and scattered generously on top, add a crunchy contrast to the tender cake crumb, making every mouthful a textural delight.

The buttercream frosting with cardamom adds to the spiced flavour. This fragrant spice, combined with the zesty brightness of orange, creates a harmonious balance with a slight exoticness that puts a spin on the classic carrot cake.

Experiment with the ingredients

Carrot is not the only vegetable used in baking, and this spiced carrot cake with orange frosting is perfect for adding courgette, too. Courgette adds moisture and a lovely green colour, and its flavour is ideal for mixing with carrots. Substitute some of the carrots for grated courgette, but be careful not to add too much as it contains quite a lot of liquid. It may affect the baking time, too, so be sure to check before taking it out of the oven.

You can also add other warm spices to give it even more of a kick to complement the orange and cardamom buttercream. For example, add ground ginger, ground cloves, and a pinch of white pepper to the batter, making the carrot cake burst with spiced flavours. When designing your carrot cake with orange frosting, the sky is the limit. Use a piping bag to pipe simple or intricate patterns. Fill your piping bag two-thirds, twisting the end of the bag with one hand while guiding the other end with the other hand. When you are ready to apply the buttercream, squeeze the twisted end of the bag, allowing the cream to fall naturally.

COOK, BAKE AND SPREAD WITH

Lurpak® Plant Based

Lurpak® Plant based offers all the great taste and quality that you expect from Lurpak® but in a plant based product. Whether you’re cooking, baking or spreading… whatever you think about plants, think again! Crush expectations with new Lurpak® Plant Based.

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