Carrot and Walnut Cake with Cinnamon and Cardamom
A slice of carrot and walnut cake needs very little dressing up. Freshly grated carrots keep the crumb moist, chopped walnuts give each bite texture, and cinnamon brings everything together. This version adds an optional touch of cardamom for a fragrant cake to serve with afternoon tea or coffee.
It is baked in a single tin and served without frosting, so the carrots, nuts and spices stay at the centre of the recipe. Start with plain, unseasoned walnuts: Moayeri’s walnuts without shell save you the shelling and are easy to chop for the batter.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Bake
- 45–55 min
- Yield
- 10 slices
- Tin
- 22 cm
In this recipe
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity | From Moayeri |
|---|---|---|
| Plain flour | 250 g | |
| Baking powder | 2 level tsp | |
| Ground cinnamon | 2 level tsp | View product |
| Fine salt | ¼ tsp | |
| Ground cardamom seeds | ¼ tsp · optional | View product |
| Large eggs | 3 | |
| Light brown sugar | 200 g | |
| Neutral oil | 180 ml | |
| Vanilla extract | 1 tsp | |
| Carrots, peeled and finely grated | 250 g | |
| Walnuts, roughly chopped | 100 g | View product |
Oven: 175°C conventional or 155°C fan. Use a tin at least 5 cm deep. Allow approximately 65–75 minutes in total, plus cooling.
For the spices, browse Moayeri’s cinnamon and dried cardamom. The quantities above refer to ground spice: grind cinnamon finely if using sticks. For whole cardamom pods, remove the husks and grind only the seeds before measuring. Do not add whole sticks or pods to the batter.
Bake with Moayeri
Walnuts for texture, cinnamon for warmth, and cardamom for an optional fragrant finish. Use the spices finely ground.
Walnut without Shell
In stock
Dried Cardamom
In stock
How to make carrot and walnut cake
Prepare the oven, tin and carrots
Preheat the oven to 175°C conventional or 155°C fan. Grease the tin and line the base with baking paper. Grate the carrots on the fine side of a grater. Keep their natural moisture; do not squeeze them dry. Chop the walnuts into small, even pieces rather than grinding them into flour.
Combine the dry ingredients
Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and optional cardamom together in a bowl. Break up any visible lumps so the spices and raising agent are distributed throughout the flour.
Mix the eggs, sugar and oil
In a larger bowl, whisk the eggs and brown sugar for about 2 minutes, until combined and slightly lighter. Gradually whisk in the oil, followed by the vanilla. Stir in the grated carrots.
Fold the batter gently
Add the dry ingredients in two batches, folding with a spatula. Add the walnuts with the second batch. Stop as soon as there are no dry pockets of flour. The batter will be thick and textured; it does not need to be perfectly smooth.
Bake and check the centre
Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and level the top. Bake on the middle shelf for approximately 45–55 minutes, checking from 45 minutes. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter. If the top is browning before the centre is ready, cover it loosely with foil and continue baking. Ovens vary, so use the skewer test as well as the clock.
Cool before slicing
Leave the cake in the tin for 15 minutes, then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack. Let it cool before cutting so the slices hold together. Serve plain, or finish with a light dusting of icing sugar just before serving.
Small details that make a difference
Weigh the carrots and flour. The number of carrots is an unreliable measure, and flour packed into a cup can make the cake heavier than intended.
Choose plain walnuts. Salted or flavoured nuts change the balance of the cake. Check that the walnuts smell fresh before chopping.
Keep the cardamom subtle. A quarter teaspoon gives a gentle fragrance. Leave it out if you prefer a classic cinnamon flavour; the rest of the recipe stays the same.
Common questions
Why is my carrot cake dense?
Too much flour, prolonged mixing after adding flour, or baking powder that has lost its strength can contribute to a heavy crumb. Weigh the ingredients, fold briefly and check the baking powder’s expiry date.
Why did the centre sink?
An underbaked centre is one possible cause. Avoid opening the oven early, and test the middle of the cake before removing it. A different tin size can also change the baking time.
Can I prepare the cake ahead?
Yes. Cool it completely before placing it in an airtight container. For longer storage, wrap individual unfrosted slices and freeze them, then thaw only what you plan to serve.
Does it need cream cheese frosting?
No. This recipe is designed to be served plain. If you choose to add a cream cheese topping, wait until the cake is completely cool and refrigerate the finished cake.
Get your baking ingredients ready
Check your flour, eggs and carrots, then choose shelled walnuts from Moayeri for the cake. Chop out the amount you need before mixing, and keep the remaining nuts sealed for your next bake.