Wholewheat Carrot Walnut Cake adapted from Ottolenghi
Wholewheat Carrot Walnut Cake … if carrots are in season, and gajar ka halwa/Indian carrot halwa has been made {happened last week}, it’s definitely time to tick the other things off my list. Carrot cake tops this ‘list’!
This Wholewheat Carrot Walnut Cake has been lurking in the to do list for long.
Adapted from the Ottolenghi recipe, this one is as delicious. I’ve gone 100% whole wheat, used coconut sugar, part clarified butter/ghee, upped the walnuts and carrots slightly, and topped this with a hand whisked mascarpone. One word, YUM!
Push came to shove when someone from my Instagram feed recently made a carrot cake and tagged me. On asking her which recipe, she exclaimed that it was from my blog, the Ottolenghi Carrot cake. I had baked that way back in 2010!
The Ottolenghi Cookbook was my first really special cookbook, a gift from a very sweet friend when I visited the UK for the Food Bloggers Connect in 2009. While the trip was a hurried one, the Ottolenghi ‘shop’ was on the list of things to do. We were too many, too scattered, and never really got there. We were a bunch of food bloggers who built the tour to the UK after connecting on twitter. Those were good days, and twitter made it happen!
I still remember the carrot cake like it was just yesterday.
Intrigued by the description, a battle of tastebuds penned down by the author in the introduction, I proudly turned out carrot cake, much to the fascination of all at home. In those days, carrots either meant a gajar ka halwa, or at best a quick Indian stir fry. Salad was of course the easiest option!
I was touted a genius to be able to get so many vegetables with so much ease down the kids throats and that too happily! The carrot cake was much enjoyed!
Of course more such experiments then followed. Beetroot cakes, pumpkin pies, apple cakes … and so much in between.
With so much baking done these last few years, experiments tend to get bolder. Also, ingredients need to stand for themselves and make sense as an include. This Wholewheat Carrot Walnut Cake is no different, and I’m glad to say it turned out delicious.
Changes? Whole wheat baking flour instead of all purpose, coconut sugar instead of normal, garam masala instead of cinnamon and clove powder, half oil + half ghee/clarified butter … and a few other minor ones.
Oh, also mascarpone in the frosting just because the kidlet doesn’t love cream cheese! Mascarpone was far simpler too, sweetened with the intensity of a scraped vanilla bean! ENJOY!!
Wholewheat Carrot Walnut Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 150 g whole wheat flour/aata
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 2 eggs separated
- 100 g oil
- 100 g clarified butter {ghee} melted, cooled
- 200 g coconut sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g walnuts chopped
- 50 g desiccated coconut
- 150 g carrot grated
- pinch salt
- 25 g coconut sugar for sprinkling over
Frosting
- 200 g mascarpone chilled
- 50 g icing sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped
- 50 g walnut halves toasted
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 170C. Grease and dust a loose bottom 8" round tine. Line the base with parchment. I used a ring inset for the centre.
- Stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and the spice mix.
- Place the oil, clarified butter, coconut sugar and vanilla extract in bowl of stand mixer. Whisk for 3-5 minutes, then add egg yolks, whisking until mixed in.
- Stir in the coconut, walnuts and carrot, followed by the flour mixture on the lowest setting. Don’t overmix it, just until it’s combined.
- In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until firm peaks and fold them into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin, levelling out as required. Sprinkle over 25g of coconut sugar.
- Bake this carrot cake with walnuts for 60 minutes in the preheated oven until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
- Let it cool completely in the tin, then gently remove from tin.
Frosting
- Place all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk with a balloon whisk until smooth. Don't overbeat as the mascarpone might lose its body.
- Spread over the top of the cooled cake, then scatter over toasted walnut halves.
Deeba @ PAB
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
18 Comments
taste of city
Thanks for share this lovely cake recipe. It is really nicely written
Deeba @ PAB
That’s so sweet of you to say. Thank you so much Meera.
Naveen Sohail
I tried that recipe.The cake tastes so yummy.
Gloria
So beautiful Deeba like always !
Deeba @ PAB
Gloria, thank you so much xoxo
Prop Mania
Thank you for sharing this wonderful tasty recipe.
Vish
This is certainly a must try..but would you be able to suggest egg substitute as my child is allergic to eggs.
Deeba @ PAB
Hey thanks Vishakha. I have an eggless carrot cake on my YouTube channel -https://youtu.be/JxSjE117u1A
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4bDlNpUJiHviwj8gJB29Pw?view_as=subscriber
Vish
Thankyou. Much love
Aanchal Sodhani
I wish you had the recipe in cups as well!
Deeba @ PAB
Maybe I’ll do it next time. It’s quite easy to google it though.
Binu
Hello, lovely cake! I made it with completely oil and skipped the ghee. Was yummy though a little greasy.. will reduce the quantity of oil next time.
Deeba @ PAB
Thank you so much Binu.
Deeba @ PAB
Thank you so much Binu
Maria
Can I substitute ghee with butter? And if so, by how much? 🙂
Deeba @ PAB
Yes of course you can. Equal quantity.
Divya Goel
Can we use jaggery instead of coconut sugar? If yes, how much quantity?
Deeba @ PAB
Yes, i think you can though jaggery has a higher liquid content I think. Might change the texture a little. Same amount I guess.