Carrot Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream

Recipe by Pump Street

240g finely grated carrots

240ml vegetable oil

300g light muscovado sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup of pistachios (toasted and chopped)

300g plain flour

1 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Icing:

200g soft butter

400g icing sugar

50g Ecuador white 44% baking pastilles 

a little milk or cream to loosen

Preheat the oven to 160C, or 150C with fan. Butter and line a 23cm or 25cm springform cake tin.

In the bowl of a standing mixer or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, mix the eggs and then gradually add the sugar until thick and voluminous – this will take a few minutes. Add the vanilla and the oil.

In another bowl mix the dry ingredients – flour, most of the pistachios (saving some for the top!), baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold until just incorporated, and then fold in the carrots until you have an even mixture.

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake in the middle of the oven for at least 40 minutes for a 25cm tin, longer for a 23cm tin. To test the cake is fully baked, with a wooden skewer poke in the middle of the cake, check that it comes out clean of wet batter. Allow to cool in the tin.

While the cake is cooling, make the buttercream. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave or very gently on the stove and allow to cool. Then with the paddle attachment in a standing mixer, or with a hand mixer, mix the soft butter until light and pale. Add the icing sugar and mix again until light and fully dissolved. Add the cooled white chocolate, and mix again, and then milk or cream by the spoonful as necessary to get an airy texture.

Once the cake is fully cooled, spread on the top the buttercream and sprinkle with the rest of the pistachios. Perfect with a strong cup of tea - Enjoy!

If our recipe isn't for you, we've been listening to Bon Appetit Foodcast podcast on what makes the ultimate Carrot Cake. In their latest episode they discuss what makes the best type of cake, whether its the addition of raisins or nuts, if it's a loaf cake or a healthy take on an original. Take a listen here.