Mary Berry Carrot Cake Recipe

Mary Berry’s carrot cake is a moist two-layer sponge made with sunflower oil, grated carrot, walnuts, coconut and pineapple, sandwiched and topped with vanilla cream cheese icing. Warm cinnamon runs through it. It bakes at 180C for 45 to 50 minutes and serves eight.

This is her Ashburton Carrot Cake from Mary Berry & Lucy Young Cook Up a Feast (2010), and it has a real story. Berry stopped at a tea shop in Ashburton, Devon, tasted a wonderful carrot cake, and the owner gave her the recipe. What makes it more than a plain carrot cake is the coconut and tinned pineapple, and the sunflower oil that keeps it properly moist.

The one thing to get right is drying the pineapple. Berry’s recipe says to drain, chop and dry it thoroughly before it goes in. Skip that and the trapped juice waterlogs the sponge, so it sinks in the middle and turns dense instead of light. A few minutes pressing it in kitchen paper is all it takes.

Mary Berry Carrot Cake Recipe

Recipe by Pinch PerfectCourse: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Calories

865

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

15

minutes

From Mary Berry & Lucy Young Cook Up a Feast (2010). A Devon tea-shop recipe built on oil rather than butter, with pineapple and coconut folded in, finished with vanilla cream cheese icing.

Ingredients

• For the cake:

• 200g (7oz) self-raising flour

• 300g (11oz) granulated sugar

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon

• 175ml (6fl oz) sunflower oil

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 100g (3½oz) raw carrots, grated

• 60g (2oz) desiccated coconut

• 220g can pineapple slices, drained, chopped, and dried thoroughly

• For the icing:

• 200g (7oz) full-fat cream cheese

• 100g (3½oz) butter, softened

• 200g (7oz) icing sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat and mix the dry: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4). Put the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon and stir together.
• Make the batter: Add the oil, eggs, and vanilla extract and beat well with a wooden spoon or spatula. Fold in the carrots, walnuts, coconut, and pineapple and beat until smooth.
• Bake: Spoon evenly into two greased and lined 23cm (9in) sandwich tins and bake for 45-50 minutes or until well risen and golden brown. To check they’re cooked in the middle, insert a skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean, they are done. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.
• Make the icing: Put the cream cheese and butter into a bowl, sift in the icing sugar, add the vanilla extract, and whisk with an electric whisk until smooth.
• Assemble: Remove the cakes from the tins and peel off the baking parchment. Turn one cake upside down on to a serving plate and spread with half the icing. Sit the other cake on top and spread the remaining icing over the top.

FAQs

Why does Berry use oil instead of butter?

Sunflower oil keeps the sponge moist for longer, because oil stays liquid at room temperature while butter sets firm. That’s why carrot cake tends to stay soft for days when a buttery sponge would dry out. It also makes the method quick, since you just beat everything together rather than creaming butter and sugar first.

Can I leave out the pineapple, coconut or walnuts?

You can, but each one earns its place: pineapple adds moisture, coconut adds texture, and walnuts add crunch and a savoury edge against the sweetness. Leave out the walnuts for a nut-free cake and it still works, since the carrot and pineapple keep it moist. Drop the pineapple and you should add a little more grated carrot so the sponge doesn’t bake dry.

Why granulated sugar and not caster?

Berry’s Ashburton recipe calls for granulated sugar, which is a little coarser than caster. In an oil-based batter that beats together rather than creaming, the granulated sugar dissolves fine over the long bake. It gives a slightly more open, moist crumb, so there’s no need to swap it for caster here.

How do I stop the cream cheese icing going runny?

Use full-fat cream cheese, never the low-fat kind, because the extra water in reduced-fat versions thins the icing. Whisk just until smooth and stop, since over-beating warms the cream cheese and makes it slacken. If your kitchen is warm, chill the iced cake for 20 minutes to firm it up before slicing.

Can I make the carrot cake ahead or freeze it?

Berry says it can be made up to a day ahead, though it’s best eaten on the day it’s iced. To freeze, wrap the sponges without the icing and they’ll keep for up to 2 months, then thaw and ice fresh. The cream cheese icing doesn’t freeze well, so always add it after thawing rather than before.

When is this carrot cake best served?

Berry files it under “tea for a crowd,” so it’s built for a proper afternoon tea rather than a quick slice. It holds its own on a table next to something like her vanilla cheesecake when you’re feeding a group. Cut it into small slices, since the oil, nuts and icing make it richer than it looks.