Gâteau aux carottes – French carrot cake with walnuts Recipe
French carrot cake is lighter than its American cousin – less frosting, more delicate, moist cake scented with cinnamon. It’s a favourite cake in many cafés, served with afternoon espresso or tea. The carrot keeps the cake fresh and soft for a long time, and the nuts add a pleasant crunch.
This French-style carrot cake focuses on the flavour and texture of the batter itself rather than a thick layer of frosting. Moist carrot, crunchy walnuts and warm cinnamon create a balanced dessert that stays fresh for days and feels lighter than classic American carrot cake.
Chef's tips
Grate the carrot on the fine side of the grater – it will blend better into the batter and keep the cake more evenly moist. Don’t overbake: take the cake out as soon as the skewer test shows just a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover it with a piece of foil towards the end of baking.
How to serve
Serve thin slices with espresso or strong black tea. For a more dessert-like version, add a spoonful of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a few extra chopped walnuts on top.
Ingredients
- carrot finely grated - 250 g
- wheat flour - 200 g
- sugar - 150 g
- vegetable oil e.g. rapeseed - 120 ml
- egg - 3 piece
- baking powder - 2 teaspoon
- ground cinnamon - 1 teaspoon
- walnuts roughly chopped - 60 g
- raisins optional, soaked in warm water - 40 g
- salt - 0.25 teaspoon
- icing sugar for dusting after baking - 2 tablespoon
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Line a rectangular loaf tin or a round tin about 22 cm in diameter with baking paper.
- Peel the carrots and grate them finely. If using raisins, pour warm water over them for 5–10 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
- In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and chopped walnuts.
- In another bowl beat the eggs with the sugar for 2–3 minutes with a mixer or whisk until the mixture lightens slightly and becomes foamy.
- Pour the oil into the eggs and mix until combined.
- Add the grated carrot and raisins and gently mix with a spoon.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix only until the flour disappears – do not overmix so the cake doesn’t turn out dense.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spoon.
- Bake for about 35–40 minutes, until the top is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs, but no raw batter.
- Remove the tin from the oven, leave the cake to stand for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a rack to cool completely. Dust the top with icing sugar before serving.
Storage
Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge if it’s warm. Bring to room temperature before serving so it’s soft and aromatic.
I like to bake this cake a day ahead – the flavours of cinnamon, nuts and carrot meld together overnight and the texture becomes even more tender. It’s one of those simple bakes that always disappear first from the table.
