This carrot cake traybake recipe is made extra special with an easy Swiss meringue buttercream topping. If you like your carrot cake with walnuts, this is the recipe for you. 

My Kitchen Drawer topped her carrot cake traybake with the delicious crunch of chopped walnuts and some extra grated carrot.

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Traybake Recipe

• 200g grated carrots
• 175g light brown sugar
• 200g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 150ml sunflower oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 70g chopped walnuts

For the Swiss meringue buttercream

• 3 egg whites
• 200g caster sugar
• 170g unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla

Method

• Line a rectangle baking tin with baking paper and preheat the oven to 160 °C fan/gas 4.
• Add the carrots and sugar into a large mixing bowl, then sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and cinnamon and mix everything together until well incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, oil and vanilla until thickened.
• Pour the egg mixture into the dry mixture and gently fold everything together until just incorporated.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
• When testing with a Thermapen ONE, it should read between 91-98 °C.

• Leave the cake aside to cool while you make the Swiss meringue buttercream.
• Add the egg whites and sugar to a large bowl or standing mixer bowl.
• Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water (be sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water) and gently heat and mix the sugar and egg whites together until the mixture reaches 71 °C.
• Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. You can use a hand mixer instead, but this step takes a while. On medium-high speed, beat the mixture until stiff glossy peaks form and the meringue is no longer warm to the touch, at least 10-15 minutes.

• Once the mixture has cooled, begin gradually adding the butter in small pieces.
• Wait for the butter to fully mix in before adding the next piece. Then, once all the butter has been added, turn the mixer down to medium speed and fully beat in the vanilla.
• Spread the buttercream across the cooled carrot cake, then decorate with crushed walnut pieces and some freshly grated carrot.

Alix Carey

Food Blogger & Author

@mykitchendrawer

"I'm so thrilled to be working with Thermapen as it has fast become one of my favourite kitchen drawer tools. Most, if not all bakes require or benefit from temperature testing so having the Thermapen to hand is the secret ingredient to perfect creations every time!"