Annika Eats

Carrot Cake & orange glaze

A moist brown sugar loaf with orange speckled carrot with the addition of spices adds an earthy tone to the light as air loaf.  The zesty orange glaze adds an element of freshness to the loaf.

There are many Carrot cake recipes. Most of which include a cream cheese frosting and I have a recipe for that as well. But then there are some carrot cakes that work perfect as is. It doesn’t discount the other carrot cakes but has its own element of beauty/deliciousness.

The orange in this cake compliments the carrot in an almost summer like fruity accompaniment making it refreshing and light in every bite. The loaf is moist and the crumb texture works perfectly with a cup of tea. It can be sliced and frozen and stores well in the freezer for over 2 months.

What seems like a very 1970’s glaze recipe honestly transforms this cake into what it is. This orange glaze is ingenious as it not only seals the moisture in the cake ensuring its soft and airy for a very long time but adds a burst of flavor with very little effort.

This glaze can be made with lemon or lime as well but I love the sweetness of the orange paired with carrot making it comforting and scrumptious. Once you have a slice of this cake you will want to have more. As the icing takes only minutes to make it doesn’t require too much of your attention but guarantees all the flavor. Which also gives the final presentation of the loaf a beautiful appeal.

A few Substitutes:

Nuts – Use whatever nuts you have, I prefer the taste of walnuts.

Eggless – You could substitute ¼ cup yogurt per egg to make this an eggless cake.

Vegan – 3 flaxseed eggs would just fine in this recipe and make for a very moist carrot cake.

Low carb/Gluten free – Almond flour could be used instead of regular flour for a low carb version.

Refined sugar free – Coconut sugar is delicious instead for brown sugar for a less refined sugar recipe.                                      

This carrot loaf is for all those who aren’t about the frosting life (I know you’ll are out there, I have met and spoken to many of you) but love a delicious cake that can be whipped up in no time with minimal effort. So enough chat, Happy Baking!

Carrot Cake & Orange Glaze

annikapanikker
A moist brown sugar loaf with orange speckled carrot with the addition of spices adds an earthy tone to the light as air loaf. The zesty orange glaze adds an element freshness to the loaf.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Decorating Time 5 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 5 people

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Sieve
  • Electric hand beater
  • Spatula
  • Baking tin (8x4 inches) - (or what you have but this will affect the cooking time. Larger the pan, lesser the cooking time and smaller the pan higher the cooking time)
  • Spoon/Offset palette knife to decorate

Ingredients
  

Cake

  • 145 gm Flour
  • 160 gm Brown sugar
  • 85 gm Walnuts coarsely chopped
  • ½ tsp Cinnamon powder
  • ½ tsp Baking powder
  • ½ tsp Baking soda
  • 2 nos Eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 150 ml Vegetable oil
  • 130 gm gm Carrot grated

Orange Glaze

  • 5 gm Butter room temperature
  • 200 gm Icing sugar sifted
  • 3-4 tbsp Orange juice
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 170°Deg C and line a cake tin with oil and baking Paper. I used an 8 x 4 inch loaf tin.
  • In a large bowl whisk the eggs and sugar until it has gotten lighter in color and the sugar is dissolved.
  • Add the oil and vanilla whisk again until smooth.
  • Add all your dry ingredients and grated carrot into the batter and using a spatula fold the batter together until combined.
  • Transfer batter to the prepared baking tin and bake at 170 Deg C for 23-25 mins until risen, golden brown and a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
  • While the cake is cooling, make the glaze by whisking the icing sugar, vanilla and 3 tbsp of the orange juice together. Add the butter into the glaze and whisk until smooth. If the glaze is too thick and not at a dripping consistency add the last tbsp of range juice.
  • Once the cake is cooled using a spoon drizzle the glaze over the top and garnish with toasted walnuts (optional).
  • Slice and serve with a cup of tea.

Notes

Note: I used some left over salted caramel for the top of the loaf.

2 thoughts on “Carrot Cake & Orange Glaze”

  1. Pingback: Carrot Sheet Pan Cake – Annika Eats

  2. Pingback: Single serve Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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