This recipe will teach you step-by-step how to make a delicious two-layer carrot cake with white chocolate cream cheese frosting! For a wow-factor finish, the carrot cake is decorated with a white chocolate flower decoration.
125gFull-fat cream cheesemy favourite is Philadelphia
60gWhite chocolatemy favourite is Menier White Chocolate
White chocolate flower
100gWhite chocolatemy favourite is Menier White Chocolate
Sprinklesany colour and type you fancy
Instructions
First make the carrot cakes
Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan oven).
Lightly grease two 8inch round cake tins with butter. Line the base and sides with greaseproof paper.
Stir the flour, cinnamon, mixed spice and orange zest together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside for now.
In a separate mixing bowl beat the brown sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla extract together.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until well combined.
Fold in the grated carrot and chopped walnuts.
Divide the mixture evenly between the cake tins and bake for 35-40 minutes until risen, golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
Leave to cool for 20 minutes in the baking tins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
Make the white chocolate cream cheese frosting
Finely chop the white chocolate and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave in 30-second blasts, stirring after each, until smooth. Set aside to cool.
Beat the butter until really soft and pale in colour.
Sift in half the icing sugar and beat until smooth. Sift in the remaining icing sugar and beat again until smooth and creamy.
Now take the cream cheese out of the fridge and add it to the bowl. Mix the cream cheese into the frosting until just combined, be careful not to overdo it as the frosting can quickly loosen and become too thin.
Now mix in the melted white chocolate until you have a smooth and creamy frosting.
Use the frosting to sandwich the cake layers together and roughly coat the top and sides, leaving the outside of the cake slightly exposed. This decoration technique is called a "semi-naked" cake. Save a little bit of the frosting if you are adding the chocolate flower so you can stick the petals onto the cake.
Make the white chocolate flower decoration
Finely chop the white chocolate and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave in 30-second blasts, stirring after each, until smooth. Set aside to cool.
Drop teaspoons of white chocolate onto greaseproof paper & use the back of the spoon to make petal shapes.
Repeat until you have approx. 12 petals. Leave to cool and harden (roughly 1-2 hours).
Carefully peel off the petals and stick them onto the front of the cake using leftover frosting to create a flower shape.
Spread a blob of frosting in the middle of the petals and decorate with sprinkles to create the middle of the flower.
Slice and serve!
Notes
The cream cheese frosting means this cake will need to be stored in the fridge in an airtight contacter or wrapped in clingfilm. It will keep for up to 3 days.
Keyword Carrot cake, Cream cheese frosting, White chocolate