Carrot Cake Traybake

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My carrot cake traybake is light and moist with a sweet, spicy flavour. It's a great all-rounder dessert but especially good for spring and Easter baking!

slices of carrot cake traybake cake on a white worktop

My traybake cakes are among the most popular recipes on my blog to date, but when I was writing out my Easter traybakes post, I realised I was missing one of the best: a carrot cake traybake!

This cake is super moist with sweet spices, and it's packed with walnuts, sultanas and fresh orange zest for the *perfect* flavour. And of course, it has plenty of rich, decadent homemade cream cheese icing on top.

It's suitable for any special occasion but it's especially good as a birthday cake for people who don't like cake decorating (me). Just bang the mixture into a traybake tin, bake, ice and enjoy. It's so simple!

This recipe makes a generous 8x10-inch cake, so you'll have plenty to go round. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

Sugar: You'll need a mix of white and brown sugar for this recipe. I recommend caster sugar and soft light brown sugar for the best flavour and texture.
Oil: Sunflower or rapeseed oil will work best because they have a neutral flavour and let the spices shine through. Avoid strong-flavoured oils such as olive and coconut.
Eggs: 4 medium eggs, for binding and lifting.
Vanilla extract: For a splash of extra flavour and warmth.
Flour: Make sure to use self-raising flour to help the cake rise! If you prefer to use plain flour, add 2 teaspoons of baking powder (not baking soda) to the recipe at the same time.
Spices: I used cinnamon, ginger and mixed spice. Don't get mixed spice confused with allspice as they taste quite different! Other spices you can use for carrot cake are nutmeg, cloves or cardamom.
Bicarbonate of soda: This helps with rising and creates a softer crumb.
Walnuts: In my opinion, the best carrot cakes are made with walnuts so these really are a must! Make sure to chop them up a little so they don't sink to the bottom of the tin.
Orange zest: This pairs with the spices perfectly. I really recommend not skipping this!
Sultanas: For some extra sweetness and chewy texture. A carrot cake with sultanas is so much better than one without!
Cream cheese icing: For your homemade icing, you'll need cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and icing sugar. You can also use shop-bought icing if you prefer.

Equipment

Baking tin: My recipe specifically calls for an 8x10-inch tin, which will give you nice chunky cake slices. If you want to use a different tin size, use my cake tin converter to adjust the recipe, and bear in mind that baking time will differ depending on the size of tin you use.
Baking paper: To prevent sticking.
Mixing bowls: A large one for the cake batter and a smaller one for the icing.
Grater: To grate your carrots and zest your orange.
Electric whisk: To mix the cream cheese icing. A stand mixer also works.
Utensils: You'll need a wooden spoon for mixing, a 240ml cup and a few teaspoons for measuring, and a sharp knife to cut the cake.
Wire rack: To cool the cake on after it's baked.

How to make carrot cake traybake

Step 1: Start by preheating your oven to 160°C (140°C for fan ovens) and lining an 8x10-inch tin with baking paper.

Step 2: To a large bowl, add 180g caster sugar, 75g soft light brown sugar, 240ml oil, 4 medium eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix well until combined.

wet ingredients mixed together in a bowl

Step 3: Now add the dry ingredients: 275g self-raising flour, 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ginger and ½ teaspoon of mixed spice. Mix well to create a smooth cake batter.

Step 4: Next, add 300g grated carrots, 100g walnuts, the zest of 1 large orange and 60g of sultanas. Fold them into the batter.

Step 5: Transfer the cake batter to your lined tin and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick through the middle comes out clean. Let it cool for about 15 minutes before flipping it out onto a wire rack.

Step 6: Prepare your cream cheese icing by mixing together 80g of room temperature cream cheese, 40g of softened butter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Then start whisking in 300g of icing sugar, a little at a time, until thick and smooth.

Step 7: Spread the icing over the cooled cake. Decorate with more walnut pieces and orange zest, then cut it into slices and enjoy!

sprinkling walnuts over the cream cheese icing

Top tips

This is quite a chunky carrot cake. If it's still a bit underbaked in the middle but is looking a bit too brown on top, cover it with foil and continue baking.
Make sure your cream cheese icing ingredients are at room temperature before you start. Using them straight from the fridge will make the icing lumpy.
Cream cheese icing can be swapped for orange buttercream, simple water icing, or a lemon/orange glaze.

FAQs

What can I use instead of sultanas?

While sultanas are best for carrot cake (in my opinion), raisins, dried apricots, dried cranberries or chopped dates all work nicely too. You can also replace them with more walnuts or just omit them from the recipe completely.

How long will my carrot cake traybake last?

This will keep well for up to 5 days. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge to keep it fresh for as long as possible.

Can I freeze it?

Yes, this cake freezes and defrosts well. You can freeze the entire traybake on a baking tray until it's solid, then wrap it tightly in clingfilm or foil. Alternatively, place slices in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

image of carrot cake traybake on a white cake stand

More traybake cakes

I hope you like my carrot cake traybake! If you try it at home, please leave a comment and rating to let me know how it goes. Enjoy!