Moist Carrot Cake With Hand Embroidery Piping
This Carrot Cake is my go to recipe! It is easy to make, moist, absolutely delicious, coupled with my velvety smooth cream cheese/white chocolate Faux Swiss Meringue Buttercream, it becomes the the cake of your dreams.
I piped a floral design around the the sides of the cake to resemble hand embroidery on this occasion for a beautiful spring feel. However, this carrot cake can be decorated in anyway you choose.
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I have fond memories of carrot cake. Growing up, my Mum made it often and would get my siblings and I involved by getting us to hand grate the carrots. Grating the carrots in this way, built the anticipation and excitement for the delicious carrot cake that was to come.
Years later that memory has never left and I bake carrot cake at every opportunity, Easter, birthday’s, celebrations, Springtime, Summertime, Christmas… Afternoon tea or coffee… you get my drift… any excuse really, year round!
I have even converted, friends that don’t like carrots. They now love my carrot cake and request it! That’s how great it is!
What’s In This Moist Carrot Cake?
The ingredients needed for this cake, are actually really simple and you will probably have most of them in your kitchen!
There is no butter in this recipe!
Oil - This is one of the secrets that helps to keep this cake lovely and moist. It is best to use an unflavoured oil. However you can use coconut oil to, but there may be a light flavour of coconut in your finished bake.
Brown Sugar - Also gives this cake a soft, moist and light texture with a caramel colour and delicious taste.
Eggs - Gives the cake structure.
Vanilla Extract - Whenever possible try to use pure vanilla extract. It will make your cake taste amazing.
Carrots, carrots and more carrots - Key ingredient! No carrots, no carrot cake! You are more than welcome to hand grate the carrots (like I used to), but you can use a food processor, which is what I normally use now and it really makes no difference to the taste of the cake.
*Golden Raisins/Walnuts *Optional - I have listed these as optional ingredients, I know that not everyone is a fan of raisins or nuts in carrot cake, while others love them. You could also use pecans instead of walnuts if you like. With or without raisins or nuts, this cake still taste great.
Orange Zest - Adds a citrusy zing to this carrot cake. Carrot and orange are a great flavour profile together.
You can also use orange extract, if you do not have fresh oranges.
All Purpose Flour - This is my preferred flower, however you could substitute some of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat for a healthier carrot cake. Or for a gluten-free carrot cake, just switch the flour to your favourite gluten free flour.
Baking Powder / Baking Soda - Helps the cake to rise making it light and fluffy in texture.
Cinnamon - Boosts the flavour of carrot cake, so it will taste divine. Another marriage made; cinnamon with carrot cake is like carrot cake and cream cheese.
How To Make This Moist Carrot Cake
You will be very happy to know, this carrot cake recipe is super simple! It is pretty much, a throw it all in and mix it together kind of recipe! No Stand mixer required!
Just have a couple of bowls ready and you will be good to go.
Preheated oven to 175C (350F).
Coarsely chop the golden raisins, place into a bowl and leave to one side.
Coarsely grate the carrots (either hand grated or using a food processor). Place into a bowl leave to one side.
Into the a mixing bowl, add the oil, light brown sugar, eggs and vanilla whisk them together.
Add the grated carrots, optional golden raisins, orange zest. Continue using the whisk to combine these added ingredients together.
Add the optional walnuts (or pecans) at this stage and whisk into the mixture.
Place a sieve over the mixing bowl, add the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and powdered cinnamon. Sieve together into the cake mixture.
Switch to a spatula or large metal spoon, to gently fold in the flour into the cake mixture until the flour is combine. Be careful not to over mix.
Divide the cake mixture evenly either between two or three 6 inch cake tins. It depends on the final decorated look that you want to achieve. I made three cake layers.
Bake in a preheated oven at 175C (350F) for 30 - 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
After baking, let it cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Then release from the tins and allow the cake layers to cool completely, before adding your favourite cream cheese recipe or buttercream.
The aroma while this carrot cake is baking is absolutely amazing!
Orange Simple Syrup
The ease of making this orange simple syrup is in the title… It’s just that ‘simple’! 2 ingredients and ready in minutes! This orange syrup lightly brushed over the carrot cakes once cooled, provides the cake with extra moistness and punch of citrus flavour!
Pour the freshly squeezed orange juice and light brown sugar into a saucepan.
Stir and bring to a gentle boil.
Let it cool before using.
See, I told you, ‘simple’!
Swiss Buttercream - White Chocolate & Cream Cheese!
This buttercream, has it all, Easy Faux Swiss Meringue Buttercream, White Chocolate & Cream Cheese. The white chocolate stabilises the buttercream, making it perfect for the warmer months. Even though it is more stable, it’s still soft, creamy, not sweet and melts in the month!
Melt the white chocolate.
Whip the cream cheese until creamy (be careful not to over whisk).
Add a spoonful of cream cheese to the cooled melted chocolate, evenly mix together.
Add the cream cheese mixture to the whipped cream cheese. First use a spatula to mix together, then whisk for a few seconds until creamy and evenly combine.
Add the cream cheese mixture to the buttercream and lemon extract. Whisk until evenly combine.
Note: You can adjust the amount of cream cheese or white chocolate you add to suite your taste.
If you prefer your cakes without buttercream, cream cheese or don’t have the ingredients. This cake works perfectly without any creamy fillings or toppings. You will still fall in love with this carrot when it’s completely plain!
Assembling This Carrot Cake
If you are using buttercream, let’s layer and decorate this carrot cake.
I have three 6 inch round, 1.5 inch high cakes.
Prepare a 6 inch cake card (this is the base cake card, so you transfer it onto your cake plate or stand with ease), spread buttercream lightly in the middle of the cake card.
Place the first layer onto the cake card.
Lightly brush the layer with orange simple syrup
Add the first layer of buttercream with an angled palette knife. Make sure the layer of buttercream is even.
Depending on how many layers you make, prepare all the layers in the same way as step 4.
When all the layers are stacked, add a light layer of buttercream to the outer edges and top (this is called a crumb coat) to trap in the cake crumbs. Use a cake scraper to smooth the sides and palette knife to smooth the top, before chilling the cake in the fridge for about 20 minutes or until the surface is firm to the touch.
Add the final layer of buttercream to the sides and top. Smooth side edges with cake scraper and fill in any areas that need extra buttercream, before smoothing sides again. Repeat this process for the top, until the cake is covered smoothly. Then chill in fridge for 30 minutes - 1 hour or until the surface is firm to the touch. So that when you scribe on the design, the buttercream is not soft.
Easy Hand Embroidery Piping
You can choose to leave this step out completely, but if you want to challenge yourself and have a go at piping this is great one to get started with. The piping will require some patience, but if you persevere, the results will be fantastic!
To make it that little bit easier for you, I am giving you a free template to follow, which I drew, with my fair hands! I was inspired by the embroidery artist Yumiko Higuchi, her embroidery work is absolutely stunning!.
If use the same colours as me, colour up the buttercream, as per the colours in the photo or use colours of your choice.
Place the buttercream into piping bags, fitted with a Wilton or Ateco #1 (Ateco is expensive to purchase in the UK, so it may be best to stick with Wilton).
Use a scribe tool or cocktail stick (toothpick). Follow the template drawing and lightly draw the design onto the side of the cake. If you are feel confident, you can go ahead and pipe the design directly onto the cake freehand.
Pipe directly over your lightly drawn design (if you have drawn it out). Pipe short lines, to resemble embroidery stitching for the flower stems and flowers heads. Following the template drawing, in some places pipe dots with the flowers heads.
Follow the template drawing for the position of all the colours.
Keep going until the design is piped around all sides of the cake.
Note: I advise that you pipe all of the stems first, before piping the flower heads and leaves.
If your kitchen is warm or hot, as you pipe, you can allow your cake to chill in the fridge for 5-10 minutes each time, before piping the next stage.
Once you have finished, the only thing left to do is cut a big slice and enjoy!… Don’t forget to share your carrot cake with others!.. It may be hard, because once you taste it, you may realise you don’t want to!
Extra Tips
Can I make carrot cake cupcakes with this recipe?
Yes, absolutely, I have made, many carrot cupcake orders for customer with this recipe with great success. This recipe make around 24 cupcake and needs to be baked for around 10-15 minutes or until a skewer/cocktail stick come out clean. From the oven, let them cool for a few minutes in the cupcake tin, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Can I make one large single layer cake?
If you use a 8 inch or 9 inch cake tin, the baking time may have to be adjusted. Check the bake around the 30 minute mark, then keep an eye on the bake every 5 minutes until the cake is baked or a skewer comes out clean.
Storing your carrot cake
Because there is cream cheese in the buttercream, it should be stored in the fridge, especially if your kitchen is warm/hot. Your refrigerated carrot cake will last for up 5-6 days.
This cake when wrapped up well (before adding buttercream or cream cheese) can also be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Can I use applesauce instead of oil in this carrot cake recipe?
Yes, however I have never tried to do this, so you may have to do some experimenting. I have read that you can do a direct switch at a 1:1 ratio of oil for applesauce. So 263ml (1 cup + 1tbsp + 1.5tsp) oil for 263g (1 cup + 1tbsp + 1.5tsp) applesauce. I have a great Easy Homemade Applesauce recipe and video you can use.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you make it, please remember to tag me - #arisecakecreations - @arisecakecreations on Instagram or Facebook, so I can see how your yummy moist carrot cake (with hand embroidery piping if you give the piping a try as well).
Moist Carrot Cake With Hand Embroidery Piping
Ingredients
- 263ml (1 cup + 1tbsp + 1.5tsp) Canola or Sunflower oil
- 263g (1 cup + 1tbsp + 1.5tsp) Light brown sugar
- 260g (1 cup + 1tbsp + 1tsp) Eggs
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 300g (2 ¾ cups) Carrots (coarsely grated)
- 150g Golden raisins *OPTIONAL (coarsely chopped)
- 75g (1/3 cup) Walnuts (or Pecans) coarsely chopped
- Grated zest 1 orange OR 1/8 tsp Orange extract
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 300g (1 ¾ cup + 2tbsp) All purpose flour
- 3 tsp Baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 30g (2tbsp + 1tsp) Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Orange – Fresh orange squeezed
- 1 batch of Faux Swiss Meringue Buttercream to be turned into cream cheese buttercream.
- 250g White chocolate
- 140g Cream Cheese
Instructions
- Preheated oven to 175C (350F).
- Coarsely chop the golden raisins, place into a bowl and leave to one side.
- Coarsely grate the carrots (either hand grated or using a food processor). Place into a bowl leave to one side.
- Into the a mixing bowl, add the oil, light brown sugar, eggs and vanilla whisk them together.
- Add the grated carrots, optional golden raisins, orange zest. Continue using the whisk to combine these added ingredients together.
- Add the optional walnuts (or pecans) at this stage and whisk into the mixture.
- Place a sieve over the mixing bowl, add the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and powdered cinnamon. Sieve together into the cake mixture.
- Switch to a spatula or large metal spoon, to gently fold in the flour into the cake mixture until the flour is combine. Be careful not to over mix.
- Divide the cake mixture evenly either between two or three 6 inch cake tins. It depends on the final decorated look that you want to achieve.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 175C (350F) for 30 - 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
- After baking, let it cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Then release from the tins and allow the cake layers to cool completely, before adding your favourite cream cheese recipe or buttercream.
- The aroma while this carrot cake is baking is absolutely amazing!
- Pour the freshly squeezed orange juice and light brown sugar into a saucepan.
- Stir and bring to a gentle boil.
- Let it cool before using.
- Melt the white chocolate.
- Whip the cream cheese until creamy (be careful not to over whisk).
- Add a spoonful of cream cheese to the cooled melted chocolate, evenly mix together.
- Add the cream cheese mixture to the whipped cream cheese. First use a spatula to mix together, then whisk for a few seconds until creamy and evenly combine.
- Add the cream cheese mixture to the buttercream and lemon extract. Whisk until evenly combine.
- Note: You can adjust the amount of cream cheese or white chocolate you add to suite your taste.
- I had three 6 inch round, 1.5 inch high cakes.
- Prepare a 6 inch cake card (this is the base cake card, so you transfer it onto your cake plate or stand with ease), spread buttercream lightly in the middle of the cake card.
- Place the first layer onto the cake card.
- Lightly brush the layer with orange simple syrup
- Add the first layer of buttercream with an angled palette knife. Make sure the layer of buttercream is even.
- Depending on how many layers you make, prepare all the layers in the same way.
- When all the layers are stacked, add a light layer of buttercream to the outer edges and top (this is called a crumb coat) to trap in the cake crumbs. Use a cake scraper to smooth the sides and palette knife to smooth the top, before chilling the cake in the fridge for about 20 minutes or until the surface is firm to the touch.
- Add the final layer of buttercream to the sides and top. Smooth side edges with cake scraper and fill in any areas that need extra buttercream, before smoothing sides again. Repeat this process for the top, until the cake is covered smoothly. Then chill in fridge for 30 minutes - 1 hour or until the surface is firm to the touch. So that when you scribe on the design, the buttercream is not soft.
- Follow The Video & Free Template To Help With The Design on The cake.
- If use the same colours as me, colour up the buttercream, as per the colours in the photo or use colours of your choice.
- Place the buttercream into piping bags, fitted with a Wilton or Ateco #1 (Ateco is expensive to purchase in the UK, so it may be best to stick with Wilton).
- Use a scribe tool or cocktail stick (toothpick). Follow the template drawing and lightly draw the design onto the side of the cake. If you are feel confident, you can go ahead and pipe the design directly onto the cake freehand.
- Pipe directly over your lightly drawn design (if you have drawn it out). Pipe short lines, to resemble embroidery stitching for the flower stems and flowers heads. Following the template drawing, in some places pipe dots with the flowers heads.
- Follow the template drawing for the position of all the colours.
- Keep going until the design is piped around all sides of the cake.
- Note: I advise that you pipe all of the stems first, before piping the flower heads and leaves.
- If your kitchen is warm or hot, as you pipe, you can allow your cake to chill in the fridge for 5-10 minutes each time, before piping the next stage.
Notes:
Extra Tips
Can I make carrot cake cupcakes with this recipe?
Yes, absolutely, I have made, many carrot cupcake orders for customer with this recipe with great success. This recipe make around 24 cupcake and needs to be baked for around 10-15 minutes or until a skewer/cocktail stick come out clean. From the oven, let them cool for a few minutes in the cupcake tin, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Can I make one large single layer cake?
If you use a 8 inch or 9 inch cake tin, the baking time may have to be adjusted. Check the bake around the 30 minute mark, then keep an eye on the bake every 5 minutes until the cake is baked or a skewer comes out clean.
Storing your carrot cake
Because there is cream cheese in the buttercream, it should be stored in the fridge, especially if your kitchen is warm/hot. Your refrigerated carrot cake will last for up 5-6 days.
This cake when wrapped up well (before adding buttercream or cream cheese) can also be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Can I use applesauce instead of oil in this carrot cake recipe?
Yes, however I have never tried to do this, so you may have to do some experimenting. I have read that you can do a direct switch at a 1:1 ratio of oil for applesauce. So 263ml (1 cup + 1tbsp + 1.5tsp) oil for 263g (1 cup + 1tbsp + 1.5tsp) applesauce. I have a great Easy Homemade Applesauce recipe and video you can use.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
720.34Fat (grams)
42.37Sat. Fat (grams)
12.41Carbs (grams)
76.99Fiber (grams)
3.50Net carbs
73.48Sugar (grams)
50.46Protein (grams)
11.84Sodium (milligrams)
257.21Cholesterol (grams)
110.70Nutritional Info: Per Serving
