Carrot Biscoff Cake Recipe

Carrot, Ginger and Spice Cake

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 45 minutes plus cooling time

Cooking time: 45 minutes

The cake component is best made a day ahead

• 250g/8.8ozs cake flour
• 1.5 cups/300g/10.6ozs. brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons/9g/0.31oz. baking powder
• 1 teaspoon/5g/0.17oz. bicarb
• 1 teaspoon/3g/0.10oz. salt
• 1.5 teaspoons/4g/0.14oz. ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon/2g/0.07oz. ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon/1g/0.30oz. ground nutmeg
• 200g/7ozs. grated carrot
• 1/2 cup/75g/2.6ozs. pineapple (drained well) or sultanas or raisins
• 60g/2ozs. crystallised ginger, finely chopped
• 150ml/5flozs oil
• 1/2 cup/125ml/4flozs. water

• 3 tablespoons/60nl/2flozs white vinegar

• 200g/7ozs. Biscoff spread

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 250g/8.8ozs. cream cheese
• 100g/3.5ozs. butter, softened
• 80g/2.8ozs. browned butter, softened
• 300g/10.6ozs. icing sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To decorate

• Top inch of Dutch carrots (I used the same carrots for the cake) including fronds
• Petals of 1 orange gerbera flower

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Step 1 - These cakes are best baked the day before you ice them. Preheat oven to 180C/350F and line 2x 15cm/6inch (3 inch or 10cm height) round baking tins with parchment on the base and sides.

Step 2 - Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl (flour, sugar, bicarb, baking powder, salt and spices,). Add the carrot, pineapple (or sultanas/raisins) and ginger and mix together5m. In a large jug or bowl whisk the oil, water and vinegar together.

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Step 3 - Add the wet mixture into the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Scoop into the two lined tins (I weigh them just to make sure that they're even). Bake for 45 minutes or until the centre springs back when gently pressed down. Cool completely and wrap up and leave these to rest and firm up until the next day.

Step 4 - To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butters for a minute until smooth. Then add the icing sugar and vanilla and beat on low speed at first and then increase to a higher speed and beat until fluffy.

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Step 5 - Trim each cake with a serrated knife and then slice each cake in half and then spread with a third of the Biscoff spread and then some of the cream cheese icing. Repeat with the other three layers but don't ice the top one.

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Step 6 - Make a crumb coat of frosting - this is a thin coat that you'll put around the top and sides of the cake to catch any crumbs. It should be thin enough to see the cake through. Place the cake in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes to firm up the frosting.

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Step 7 - Ice the top and sides with a thicker layer of icing. Then use a cake scraper to make the icing smooth. Place carrot fronds and flower petals around the sides. Then using a Loyal X Large Sultane #796 piping tip, pipe rosettes around the top.

Step 8 - Peel and trim each carrot top (I made them different heights) and place inside the piped rosette.