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Basic Recipes

Carrot Cake Layers

by Lisa

Trained pastry chef

Fluffy carrot cake layer baked in a springform pan

4.9 (7)out of 5, 7 ratings

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Prep
20 min
Bake
20 min
Total
40 min
Makes
1

Fluffy, moist, soft and wonderfully spiced carrot cake layers... those words together are hard to resist, right? These carrot cake layers are a little different from a classic, heavy and rich carrot cake! They are incredibly soft, so they are not really suited to tiered cakes or 3D projects. In my opinion this recipe is PERFECT for kids' birthday parties, because it needs no filling and is incredibly moist and delicious. Just spread it with a little cream cheese (a soft, full-fat fresh cheese; in the US use full-fat cream cheese, in the UK full-fat soft cheese) and your quick Sunday cake is ready! Yummy.

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Notes:

• If you like, add a pinch each of cardamom and ginger along with the cinnamon.
• The coarsely ground nuts can be ground hazelnuts or ground almonds.
• You can also fold a handful of chopped walnuts into the batter.
• Please use eggs at room temperature: they whip up faster, better and to more volume than eggs straight from the fridge.
• You can also grate half of the carrots a little more coarsely.

Ingredients

Makes 1

  • ½ cup plus 2 tbsp150 gegg yolks (about 8 large)
  • ½ cup100 ggranulated sugar
  • ¾ cup plus 3 tbsp225 gegg whites (about 7 large)
  • 1 ¼ cups240 ggranulated sugar
  • 1 pinchsalt
  • 16 oz450 gcarrotsfinely grated
  • 1 tspbaking powderGerman baking powder is sold in 15 g packets, each meant for about 500 g (4 cups) of flour. In the US and in the UK use baking powder, 1 tbsp plus ¾ tsp per 15 g packet.
  • ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp110 gall-purpose flourIn German recipes plain flour means soft wheat flour Type 405 unless stated otherwise. In the US use all-purpose flour; in the UK, plain flour.
  • 3 ¾ cups375 gcoarsely ground nutsNuts ground to a coarse, grainy texture, usually hazelnuts. In the US use hazelnut meal, or hazelnuts pulsed in a food processor until coarsely ground; in the UK, ground hazelnuts, or hazelnuts pulsed in a food processor until coarsely ground.
  • 1 tspground cinnamon

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (170°C) convection (fan). Line a 10-inch (26 cm) springform pan with parchment paper.

  2. Whip the egg whites, sugar and salt until stiff, stable peaks form.

  3. Whip the egg yolks with the sugar.

  4. Mix the flour, baking powder, ground nuts and spice together, then right away briefly work in the finely grated carrots.

  5. Add the carrot mixture to the whipped egg YOLKS and mix everything together thoroughly.

  6. Fold ⅓ of the egg whites into the carrot mixture (you don't need to be soooo careful here, this step is only to even out and loosen the heavy batter!), then fold in the remaining ⅔ of the egg whites with LOVE and a GENTLE hand until everything is combined and the batter is light and airy. Pour the batter straight into the pan and put it into the preheated oven RIGHT AWAY.

  7. Baking time: about 30 to 40 minutes. Do the toothpick test!

  8. After baking, let it cool completely before you work with it any further. It's best to let it cool on a wire rack.