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Topsy Turvy Carrot Cake

Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings 2 Eight Inch Cake Layers

Ingredients

  • Ingredients for the cake:
  • 300 g carrots, grated
  • 300 g plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 300 g light brown sugar
  • 300 ml vegetable/sunflower oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • Ingredients for the frosting: (this makes enough to crumb coat the cake: if you want to frost it properly, you'll need to double this recipe)
  • 125 g full fat cream cheese, I used Philly
  • 50 g unsalted butter, at room temp
  • 300 g sifted icing sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 3-4 tbsp apricot jam and 2tbsp water, heated in a small saucepan until smooth, optional
  • 1.5 kg ready to roll fondant, optional
  • Circle cutters, gel colours, to decorate, optional, I used a piping tip
  • 1-2 tbsp royal icing mixed with a very small amount of water; mixed until smooth, optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C and grease and line your cake tins.
  • Grate your carrots and place them in a medium sized bowl. Leave to the side.
  • Place the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and ginger into a medium sized bowl and mix until well combined. Leave to one side.
  • Place the light brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla extract into a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and mix until light and frothy, about 2 minutes on med-high speed.
  • Add in the flour mix and mix until well combined and smooth.
  • Add in the carrots and mix on low until well incorporated.
  • Split between the baking tins and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes. (If you're making 2 plain 8inch cake layers this will be closer to 40 minutes, possibly 45, but since I made a 6inch it took around 35 minutes).
  • Cake is done when risen, golden on top and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
  • Leave the layers to cool in the tins for at least an hour before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Once chilled, make the frosting. Place the cream cheese and butter into a medium sized bowl and beat until light and fluffy.
  • Add in the sifted icing sugar, starting on a low speed to avoid the icing sugar cloud, begin to combine the ingredients. Once the mixture starts coming together turn the mixer up to med-high and beat until light and smooth. Add in the vanilla extract and mix until well incorporated.
  • This is how I made my topsy turvy cake: I placed the large layer bottom side up onto a cake board and placed a light layer of cream cheese frosting on top and around the edges. I placed the smaller layer top side up on a plate and gave it a crumb coat then placed both cakes in the fridge overnight. Keep any leftover frosting to stick the top tier onto the bottom tier.
  • If you're just making 2 eight inch cakes, place the first cake top side up on a plate/cake board and spread some frosting on the top. Place the second layer on top of the first, bottom side up to ensure a smooth top. Frost the top with a small offset spatula and the sides with a large straight spatula.
  • To cover my cake in fondant, I brushed a mixture of warm water and apricot jam over the crumb coated cakes and rolled the fondant out to 5mm thick. I placed it over the bottom cake and smoothed it over. I placed 4 straws into the centre of the larger cake to stop the top tier squashing the bottom layer. Straws are cheaper, but of course, you can use cake dowels. I placed the smaller tier onto my icing turntable and covered that in fondant too, then used a little leftover cream cheese frosting in the middle of the covered larger cake to stick the top tier on.
  • I cut out small circles of fondant and stuck them on with a little royal icing mixed with water.
  • Cake will keep covered in fondant, at room temperature, for up to 5 days. If just covered in cream cheese frosting, cake will keep wrapped up in the fridge for 4 days.

Notes

Recipe adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook