This recipe makes a carrot traybake cake also known as a sheet cake that is soft and fluffy with the most delicious flavour. It is topped with cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts which all together create a scrumptious dessert.
If you love carrot cake then you will love this carrot yoghurt cake. It’s very similar to a traditional carrot cake but contains yoghurt which you wouldn’t normally find in carrot cake. I use yoghurt in this cake as I love the texture and creamy flavour it gives to the cake.
Most carrot cake recipes use vegetable oil only as the fat component but this cake is made using oil and baking spread such as stork. I find the combination of the two create the perfect fluffy textured cake. The ingredients that make the cake extra special are the ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg and you can adapt the quantities of these ingredients to your own liking.
This carrot sheet cake is so good that I sometimes make the cake without the frosting and it is equally delicious to the cake with frosting. Without the frosting it is less sweet and contains less calories so you can still have carrot cake even if you are watching your calorie intake.
Ingredients for Carrot Yoghurt Traybake Cake
For the full list of ingredients and measurements, scroll to the recipe card below.
Carrot Cake Ingredients
- Flour – I use self raising flour which is plain flour mixed with baking powder.
- Salt – I use fine sea salt.
- Spices - ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, ground ginger.
- Bicarbonate soda - also known as baking soda.
- Vegetable oil – you can also use canola or rapeseed oil.
- Vegetable spread – I use stork.
- Sugar – I use a combination of soft light brown sugar and caster sugar.
- Eggs – room temperature eggs are ideal.
- Vanilla – use good quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Yoghurt – use natural or plain low fat yoghurt.
- Carrots – use grated carrots.
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- Butter – use soft at room temperature.
- Cream cheese - use full fat cream cheese.
- Icing sugar – also known confectioners sugar or powdered sugar.
- Vanilla extract – optional.
- Chopped walnuts – This is optional.
How to Make Carrot Yoghurt Traybake Cake
Start by preheating the oven to 180oC and lining a rectangle cake tin that measures approximately 13 x 9 inch (33 x 22cm) with parchment paper.
Make the Carrot Cake
Prepare the dry ingredients
Add the self-raising flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and bicarbonate soda to a large bowl, whisk to combine then set aside.
Combine the fats with the sugars
Add the vegetable oil, vegetable spread, brown sugar and caster sugar to another large mixing bowl and combine until smooth.
Add the wet ingredients
Mix in the eggs then the vanilla extract and yoghurt.
Add in the dry ingredients and carrots
Mix in the dry ingredients then add and mix in the grated carrots.
Bake the cake
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking tin and bake for 40 minutes or until cooked throughout. Once baked, place the baking tin on a wire rack to completely cool.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat the butter
Beat the butter in a stand mixer bowl for 2 minutes using a paddle attachment on a medium setting.
Mix in the cream cheese and icing sugar
Add in the cream cheese and continue to mix for around 1 minute until creamy and fluffy. Gradually add in the icing sugar and mix until well combined.
Ice the cake
Use a palette knife and spread the cream cheese onto the cooled cake then sprinkle on the chopped walnuts. Refrigerate the cake for around 30 minutes to help the frosting set then cut and serve.
Recipe Tips
- When making this carrot cake traybake recipe, grate the carrots before you start mixing the ingredients together.
- You will need a stand mixer or hand mixer to make the cream cheese frosting.
Storage
Due to the cake having cream cheese in the frosting, it is advised to refrigerate any left-over cake for around 4 days. Remove the cake from the fridge 10 minutes before serving.
If you don't frost the cake it can be stored in an airtight container and left at room temperature for up to 5 days.
You can wrap and store this cake in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition based on 1 serving - Calories: 349kcal | Fat: 15.9g | Saturates: 6.3g | Carbs: 48.2g | Sugar: 38.1g | Fibre: 1.1g | Protein: 3.4g | Salt: 0.33g.
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Carrot Yoghurt Traybake Cake
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake
- 290g self-raising flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate soda
- 100ml vegetable oil
- 100ml baking spread such as stork (soft at room temperature)
- 140g soft light brown sugar
- 140g caster sugar
- 3 medium eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 120ml natural yoghurt room temperature
- 260g carrots grated or shredded
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 110g unsalted butter soft at room temperature
- 220g soft cheese cream cheese full fat
- 440g icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/350oF/180oC/160oC fan and line a rectangle cake tin that measures approximately 13 x 9 inch (33 x 22cm) with baking paper.
- Make the Carrot Cake: To a large bowl, add and combine the self-raising flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and bicarbonate soda then set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the vegetable oil, vegetable spread, brown sugar and caster sugar. Cream them together until well combined then mix in the eggs, vanilla extract and yoghurt. Mix in the dry ingredients set aside earlier then mix in the grated carrots.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for 40 minutes or until cooked throughout. Once baked, place the baking tin on a wire rack to completely cool.
- Make the Cream Cheese Frosting: Add the butter to a stand mixer bowl and beat for 2 minutes using a paddle attachment on a medium setting. Add in the cream cheese and continue to mix for around 1 minute until creamy and fluffy. Gradually add in the icing sugar and mix until you can no longer see any icing sugar.
- Spread the cream cheese icing onto the cooled cake then sprinkle on the chopped walnuts. Place in the fridge for around 30 minutes to help the frosting set then cut and serve.
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