Carrot cake tips for beginners

Everyone needs a good and easy carrot cake recipe in their kitchen.

While many home bakers have made plenty of chocolate and vanilla cakes, some have not yet mastered the carrot cake.

Carrot cakes are not as hard to make as you think, but they are a lot trickier to get right than your standard vanilla sponge. 

Sometimes they come out too dense, while some struggle to get the right amount of sweetness - too bitter or too sweet is never good.

Here are few things beginners need to know before attempting any carrot cake recipe. 

Spice it right

The star ingredient in a carrot cake is the carrots, but the spices you add are equally important and can make or break the entire batter. Carrot cake recipes call for nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground allspice. But adding too much spice can be a disaster for the end result. You also don't want to under-spice your batter! This recipe on the Food Network's website calls for an equal amount of all the spices. 

Brown sugar is key 

Sally's Baking Addiction says using brown sugar instead of white will do wonders for your carrot cake. Brown sugar will not only add the right amount of sweetness, but it will also help give the cake some flavour. It also adds some moisture, and give it a darker appearance. Some bakers use a combination of white and brown sugar. 

It's not all about the carrots

Carrots might be one of the key ingredients in the cake, but they can do with a bit of help from some other add-ins. Adding some orange zest, or ginger to your batter will give it some zing! This recipe on My Recipes uses a cup of orange juice. Don't forget to grate your carrots finely, as bigger pieces might not cook as well during baking - which usually takes around 40 minutes. Walnuts are also a common add-in when it comes to carrot cakes. Just make sure you roast them first, which will help bring out their flavour. You could also add raisins, but not everyone is a fan. If you do use raisins, soak them in some juice for about 10 minutes before adding them. But be warned, Bon Appétit's associate food editor, Claire Saffitz, says adding too many things to your batter can "muddy the flavor of the warming spices and could compromise the structural integrity of your ultra-tender cake". She also advises against adding pineapple, which will make the cake too moist. 

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Do you have any carrot cake tips to add? Let us know below.