Walnuts and carrots are beloved ingredients for a delicious cake. Not only are they tasty, but they also add a substantial dose of healthiness. Furthermore, for this carrot walnut cake, we also use whole wheat flour and olive oil. We'll explain why olive oil is so good in a cake later in this article.
Carrot walnut cake
Equipment
- 1 cake tin 26 cm diameter
Ingredients
- 300 grams whole wheat flour
- 200 grams carrots grated
- 150 ml olive oil extra vergine
- 50 ml honey liquid
- 60 grams walnuts chopped
- 60 grams coconut grater
- 100 grams sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 package vanilla sugar
- 15 grams baking powder 1 package
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 5 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Some small preparation
- Peel the carrots and cut off the ends. Then grate them manually or in the food processor.
- Next also finely chop the walnuts with the food processor.
Making the dough
- Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. These are the flour, baking powder, sugar, vanilla sugar and cinnamon. Whisk well.
- Then add the chopped walnuts and the coconut grater. Mix them well with the whisk.
- Now add the eggs, the cold-pressed olive oil and the honey. Mix everything together well.
- Finally, the grated carrots and tablespoons of milk follow. Mix very well until you have a consistent dough.
Baking the carrot walnut cake
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Grease the cake tin with butter. Then sprinkle it with some coconut grater.
- Now move the dough into the cake mold and spread it out nicely.
- Place the dough in the oven for 35 minutes. At the end, check with a knitting needle or skewer whether the cake is done.
- Now remove the carrot walnut cake from the oven. Let the cake rest and cool for another ten minutes before carefully removing it from the mold.
Nutrition
How to make carrot walnut cake?
Difficulty in making this carrot walnut cake is minimal. For this type of baking, the most significant task is to accurately measure the ingredients beforehand. After that, everything proceeds quite smoothly.
A few small preparations
Carrots and walnuts need to be cleaned and grated. Peel the carrots and trim the ends. Then grate them using a food processor or manually if you don't have one.
Next, chop the walnuts. You can do this manually or also use a food processor. If you choose the manual method, the result will be slightly coarser. But with the food processor, you'll get a finer texture.
Mixing the dough
Start by mixing all the dry ingredients. These include whole wheat flour, baking powder, sugar, vanilla sugar, and a tablespoon of cinnamon. Combine them thoroughly using a whisk.
Next, mix in the grated coconut and chopped walnuts with the dry ingredients. Again, use the whisk to ensure everything is well incorporated.
Add the remaining ingredients one by one. Begin with the eggs, adding them to the mixing bowl. Whisk them together with the other ingredients in the bowl.
Now it's time for the olive oil and liquid honey. A tip: Measure the cold-pressed olive oil first in a measuring cup, then add the liquid honey. Mix them thoroughly and incorporate them into the developing dough. Once again, use the whisk to ensure proper blending.
Finally, add the grated carrots and tablespoons of milk. Since the mixture may still be relatively dry, the milk will help achieve the desired consistency. After one last thorough mixing, your dough is ready!
Baking the carrot walnut cake
Preheat the oven to 180-200°C (356-392°F).
Prepare a cake pan with a diameter of 26 cm. Grease it with butter and sprinkle a layer of grated coconut on the inside. Then fill the cake pan with the dough, ensuring an even distribution.
Once the oven is hot, bake the cake in the prepared pan for 35 minutes. To check if the carrot walnut cake is fully cooked, insert a knitting needle or skewer into the center. If nothing sticks to it, the cake is ready. Otherwise, bake it for a few extra minutes.
After removing the cake from the oven, let it cool for about ten minutes. This will help it firm up and prevent it from falling apart when you remove it from the pan. However, don't let it cool completely, as it might stick to the pan.
Gently loosen the edges of the cake from the pan. Now test with a spatula to see if it comes off the bottom. If it all looks good, place a plate on top of the cake and invert it. Carefully remove the cake pan. Then place a beautiful serving dish on top and flip the cake again.
Assuming everything went well, your delicious carrot walnut cake is now proudly displayed on your lovely serving platter. Ready to be sliced and enjoyed!
Why Use Olive Oil in a Cake?
The tradition of using olive oil in cakes actually originates from Italy. And that, in itself, is a reference to healthy and delicious food. Of course, there's a significant difference compared to using cream and butter. While cream and butter are undoubtedly also very flavorful, they also come with a higher calorie content.
Another advantage of using olive oil is that it makes the cake moister and more luscious. It won't dry out or crumble as quickly, providing a more pleasant texture in your mouth. Additionally, olive oil helps the cake stay fresh for longer, as it doesn't dry out as rapidly.
So, consider replacing butter and cream with olive oil in your cake recipes. It's a healthy and tasty alternative.
Learn more about using olive oil in baking:
- The benefits of extra virgin olive oil for baking (Selo).
- Why use extra virgin olive oil as a substitute for butter in baking (Morocco Gold).
- How to use olive oil instead of vegetable oil (Oliviers&Co).
- Can I use extra virgin olive oil for a cake? (Estepa).
More surprising.cake
As indicated in the introduction, carrots and nuts often play a delightful role in a tasty cake. Here are a few more delicious ideas for you:
- Swiss carrot cake.
- Greek walnut cake.
- Spanish almond cake.
- Refreshing coconut-polenta cake with lemon.
- Cherry coconut cake.
- Healthy breakfast cake with fruits, nuts and oatmeal.
If you speak Dutch, you can find the Dutch version of this recipe on gerechtenweb.blog.
