recipes

Fairy Carrot Cake with Lemony Cream Cheese Icing

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Oskaya
Fairy Carrot Cake with Lemony Cream Cheese Icing

*She was a fairy*

Is there anything better that a carrot cake slathered in lemony cream cheese? Maybe one that’s lovingly adorned with edible flowers and looks fit for a woodland fairy.

Queue our Fairy Cake – as beautiful as she is delicious – and sure to be the star of the show when you bring her along to any event over the holidays or if you’re entertaining. This cake recipe has been adapted from a very old cook book (we don’t even know which one!), with the author’s name lost to time, meaning they sadly cannot be credited for this incredible cake recipe.

The recipe calls for a crumb base to be pressed into the bottom of the cake tin which gives the bottom of the cake an almost brownie-esque crunchy bottom. We’ve slightly tweaked the traditional cream cheese icing to include some lemon zest for a bright burst of flavour which compliments the beautiful cake and makes it feel fresh and summery.

This recipe is nut-free unlike a lot of other carrot cakes, and she can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. As always, if you’ve made anything from the Oskaya Journal, don’t forget to tag us with #OskayaMade

Happy baking and happy holidays. We LOVE you x

Carrot Cake with Lemony Cream Cheese Icing

Prep Time

30 minutes

Total time

3 hours

Serves

8-12

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1.5 cups brown sugar
  • 2 cups self-raising flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 185g butter (room temperature)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup grated carrot, packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
  • Edible flowers (to decorate)

Icing

  • 250g cream cheese (room temperature)
  • 150g butter (room temperature)
  • 3 cups icing sugar (plus an optional extra 1/4 cup)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1 tbsp grated lemon zest (approx. 1 lemon)
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

Cake

Step 1
Preheat your over to 180°C and grease a springform cake tin.

Step 2
Put the sugar into a bowl, sift in flour, salt and cinnamon and then mix together well.

Step 3
Cut the butter into cubes, and rub it into the dry mixture until it resembles sand.

Step 4
Press half of this mixture into the cake tin to form the crunchy base.

Step 5
To the remaining mix, add beaten eggs, buttermilk, bicarb, and grated carrot. Stir to combine.

Step 6
Pour over the base and bake for 60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Step 7
Let the cake cool completely before icing.

Icing & Assembly

Step 1
Cut the cake in half horizontally so you have two layers of cake.

Step 2
Beat on a high speed (handheld or stand mixer) the butter and cream cheese until smooth – about 60 seconds.

Step 3
Add 3 cups of icing sugar, along with the vanilla bean paste, lemon zest and salt. Whisk on low speed for 30 seconds, followed by high speed for 2 minutes. For thicker icing, add the extra 1/4 cup of icing sugar.

Step 4
Spread half the icing over the bottom cake layer, leaving 1cm from the edge.

Step 5
Gently place the top half on, aligning edges. Insert toothpicks at this point if you are going to be transporting the cake.

Step 6
Spread the rest of the icing over the top and finish with edible flowers.

Step 7
Store in the fridge if making ahead. Let sit out before serving for a softer texture.

Tips

You can find edible flowers at boutique grocers like Harris Farm. To stabilise the cake for transport, use trimmed toothpicks between layers – just remember to let guests know before eating.

From The Journal

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