Olive Oil Carrot Cake
One of my favorite parts about cooking is brainstorming ways to make a spin on a classic, which brought me to a question — can you use olive oil to make a carrot cake? There’s nothing more delicious than both a carrot cake with delicious cream cheese frosting and a moist, freshly baked olive oil cake, so why not combine them to make the best of both worlds? This cake is intentionally simple, making the delicious spices, nuts, and carrots that this traditional cake is known for the stars of the show, all while adding rich and flavorful olive oil to make the cake slightly savory and moist.
How do you store an olive oil carrot cake? You should store olive oil carrot cake in the fridge covered in plastic wrap to ensure that the cake doesn’t dry out from being exposed to air. Storing the cake in the fridge is imperative to make sure the frosting doesn’t spoil and the freshness of the cake remains at peak levels, that’s to say only if this cake withstands getting gobbled up in just one sitting!
How long do you bake an olive oil carrot cake? This olive oil carrot cake bakes in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour. Depending on your oven, this may take more or less time, so I recommend starting with one hour and then adding more time if the cake hasn’t finished baking yet.
How to tell when an olive oil carrot cake is finished baking? The best way to tell when this cake is finished baking is by inserting a fork, knife, or toothpick into the center of the cake and removing it to see if any batter has clung to it. This is a very moist cake, so you might see some steam or olive oil clung to the fork, but you should definitely not see any sort of raw or wet-looking batter. When in doubt, I always recommend baking the cake for additional time to ensure it cooks thoroughly. There’s nothing worse than an under-baked dessert!
Can you freeze an olive oil carrot cake? Yes, you can freeze this olive oil cake in advance and enjoy it later. For best results, make the cake according to the recipe instructions up until you make the frosting. Let the cake cool completely and freeze it wrapped tightly in plastic wrap to ensure it doesn’t get freezer-burned. When you’re ready to enjoy the cake, let it thaw gently in the fridge overnight and then serve. I recommend making the frosting fresh the day that you want to serve the cake to make sure the texture and freshness are exactly as they should be.
Why is my olive oil carrot cake dry? Olive oil cakes typically become dry because of over-baking the dessert and drying it out in the oven or by adding too much flour in the batter to where the rest of the ingredients aren’t hydrating it well enough. To avoid this, I recommend keeping the ratio of 2 cups of all-purpose flour to 1 cup of olive oil and 1 cup of whole milk, as this recipe directs, to ensure that you have the perfect amount of hydration in the batter. When baking the cake, start with 1 hour of cooking time at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and only add more time if you see that the middle of the cake still has wet batter and hasn’t cooked through all the way.
Why is my olive oil carrot cake dense? The biggest reason why olive oil carrot cakes become dense is that the leavening agent in the batter is old and not working as it should be. In this recipe, we call for 1 tsp of baking powder to make the cake rise and become fluffy. If your baking powder is more than 6 months old, you should test it to ensure that it’s still active and fresh enough to bake with. To test baking powder, add a small amount of baking powder to a bowl (about 2 tsp) and pour a drizzle of vinegar on it. If you see the baking powder fizz and bubble up, it’s fresh and still active.
How to make an olive oil carrot cake:
Olive Oil Carrot Cake
Enjoy a unique twist on a classic spring dessert with this olive oil carrot cake recipe. This moist and flavorful cake blends rich olive oil with warm spices, crunchy nuts, and sweet carrots, all topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting for a perfectly balanced dessert.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt (diamond kosher)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1 cup olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup of grated carrots, about 3-4 medium-sized carrots
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, plus more for topping
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a 9-inch cake pan by spraying it with baking spray or coating it lightly in oil.
- Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together until they are well-combined and light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the large bowl of wet ingredients, mixing between each addition, until you have a thick, silky batter.
- Add the carrots and walnuts to the batter and gently fold them in until they’re evenly distributed throughout the mix.
- Pour the cake batter into the 9-inch prepared cake pan and bake it for 1 hour or until fully baked.
- Let the cake cool until it is at room temperature. This typically takes 1-2 hours. Don’t rush this step because this will ensure the frosting won’t melt off the cake.
- Using a hand mixer, make the cream cheese frosting by combining all of the ingredients and whipping them at medium speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Top the olive oil carrot cake with the cream cheese frosting and additional chopped nuts.
- Serve right away and enjoy!
Notes
Optional - you can add ⅓ cup of raisins to this cake if you prefer, simply add them in the batter alongside the carrots and nuts in step 5.
