Honey Apple Carrot Cake
This simple twist on classic carrot cake uses apple along with carrot inside a moist cake, and it's finished with a lightly sweet honey buttercream.
Equipment
- Digital Food Scale
- Stand Mixer
- 6-inch Cake Pans
- Parchment Paper Cake Rounds
- Piping Bag
- Ateco Tip #827 (or any other star tip)
Ingredients
Batter
- 191 grams all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 85 grams carrots (finely grated)
- 1 medium apple (finely grated)
- 113 grams canola oil
- 226 grams cane sugar
- 21 grams raw honey
- 2 large eggs
Frosting
- 226 grams salted butter (softened)
- 454 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 30 grams raw honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- To make the batter: In a bowl add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, sea salt and whisk together.
- In either a mixing bowl with a whisk, using a hand mixer, or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the carrots, apple, canola oil, cane sugar, honey, and eggs. Then add the flour mixture on top. Mix on low or stir with a spatula until the mixture comes together into a cake batter.
- Measure batter evenly into each pan, about 272 grams each. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the cake pans.
- To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar, honey, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until all ingredients are combined, then speed mixer up to high for 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape sides and mix again on high. Once the frosting is made, put at least half into a piping bag with Ateco tip #827.
- On your cake round, spinner or stand, place the first layer of cake. Next, spread a good amount of frosting in the center of the cake. Then, go around the outer edge with the piping bag and tip to create a pretty side view. Top with the second layer of cake and repeat this process until the last layer is on.
Video
Notes
Tips
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- This carrot cake is a really easy recipe, it's basically a one bowl cake turned into a layer cake. You can easily make this batter using a hand mixer or a just a bowl with a wooden spoon, you do not need a stand mixer for this cake recipe.
- Usually I don’t butter and flour the sides of my cake pans and I just use parchment paper on the bottom. But, whenever making a naked cake it is always ideal to butter and flour the sides of the cake pans (as well as use parchment) because it makes the cake pull away more form the sides. With a naked cake, you will see the sides versus with a fully frosted cake you won’t. So, you want the sides to look good. And if you use butter and flour the cake will bake a little apart from the sides, so you won’t have to cut around with a butter knife to remove as much and possibly ruin the sides of the cake.
- When making this type of naked cake, you don’t have to use a piping bag or tip if you don’t have one or if you don’t want. You can just use a cake spatula to spread out the frosting too! Or you can even use a different decorating tip if you prefer. I use Ateco tip #827 for this cake, but use whatever method you prefer! Check out How to Make a Naked Cake for more tips.
- Be sure to store under a cake dome so this stays fresh.
- Gluten Free — Replace the organic flour for 191 grams (1 ¼ scant cups) of gluten free flour blend.
- High Altitude — Bake at 350°F for 17 to 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
Calories: 800kcalCarbohydrates: 113gProtein: 4gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 408mgPotassium: 115mgFiber: 2gSugar: 92gVitamin A: 2562IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 2mg
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