This easy Carrot Cake Traybake Recipe is not only moist and delicious but it is great for feeding a crowd. Perfect for family gatherings such as Easter, birthdays, and high-tea parties!
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Carrot Cake has always been one of my favourite things to bake and always used to make it in my good old faithful bread machine (yes it bakes perfectly in the bread machine).
Unfortunately, much to my despair, I lost my go-to recipe. I hadn’t made it for a while because the kids were never that keen (the adults always loved it!) so I tended to bake things that the whole family could enjoy.
But after eating a really delicious piece of carrot cake at a trendy coffee shop it made me realise I was missing it big time.
I still had the original recipe vaguely in my head but not the exact ingredient amounts I needed so I went in search of a new one.
They were all quite different and I wanted to keep it as close as possible to my original recipe because I had always received so many compliments about it.
I managed to find a few different ones that sounded good and had a play around with the ingredients.
I noticed it made quite a lot of mixture and I was afraid that it would be too much for the size of my bread maker pan so I decided just to bake it in a big Baking Tray that I have.
And guess what, it came out perfect and was a total hit with everyone – EVEN THE KIDS!!! they told me that it’s even as good as mummy’s Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls and Scottish Fruit Loaf Recipe
Easy Carrot Cake Tray Bake
Ingredients
- 250 grams grated carrot (2 cups)
- 1 large orange
- 150 grams sultanas (1 cup)
- 150 ml oil (sunflower or vegetable) (2/3 cup)
- 150 grams sugar (3/4 cup)
- 130 grams apple puree (1/2 cup)
- 4 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 225 grams all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
- 200 grams cream cheese (1/2 cup)
- 450 grams icing sugar (3 cups)
- 80 grams unsalted butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp lemon juice
Instructions
Cake
- grate the orange and save the zest then squeeze out the juice.
- add the juice, zest and sultanas to a bowl and leave to soak for a minimum of 2-3 hours ( I like to let mine soak overnight).
- Place oil, sugar and apple puree in a large bowl. Using a hand whisk mix it all together until there are no lumps. Add the eggs and stir until combined.
- Add the grated carrot (I do mine in my food processor), the vanilla extract and the infused sultanas together with the orange juice and zest they were soaked in.
- In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon then add to the wet mix and stir in until combined.
- line 30cm (12″) square baking tray with greaseproof baking paper and pour in the cake mixture.
- pre-warm the oven to 180°C/350°F and place baking tin in centre of oven. Bake for approx 35-40 minutes (when a skewer comes out clean the cake is ready). Leave to tin to cool for 10 mins before turning out onto a cooling rack.
FROSTING
- Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the cream cheese, softened butter, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Whisk the ingredients together until smooth and creamy. You need to be able to easily spread the frosting onto the cake but make sure your it’s not too runny. If you lift the whisk and the peak remains for 5 seconds then the consistency should be about right.
Nutrition
How To Freeze Carrot Cake
If by any chance you have any leftovers, you can actually freeze them.
First, freeze the individual slices uncovered on a tray for approx 2 hours to allow the topping to harden and set. Then wrap each slice in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and wrap it again tightly in foil and store it in an airtight container. When saved like this the carrot cake should keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
I really love this new carrot cake traybake recipe and it’s definitely a keeper for me!
What’s your favourite crowd-pleasing recipe? Do you have a favourite traybake recipe?
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