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Sticky toffee carrot cake recipe

Sticky toffee carrot cake recipe

14 ratings

The Tesco Real Food team

This dense, decadent showstopper is a magical mash-up of two favourites – sticky toffee pudding and classic carrot cake. Everyone can have a go making this, no delicate piping required and you can even bake and assemble it ahead of time. Serve for Easter lunch, Sunday roast or birthday parties… This is one carrot cake recipe you'll be making again! See method

  • Serves 12
  • 1 hr 10 mins plus cooling
  • 479 calories / serving
  • Freezable
  • Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 150g medjool dates, de-stoned and chopped
  • 1 black tea bag, made up to 150ml (optional)
  • 125g baking spread, plus extra for greasing
  • 200g dark muscovado sugar
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 250g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 200g carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
  • 30g walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 orange, zested

For the icing

  • 200g tub soft cheese
  • 200ml whipping cream
  • 90g icing sugar

For the toffee sauce

  • 75ml whipping cream
  • 25g butter
  • 25g dark muscovado sugar
  • ¼ tsp flaky sea salt (optional)
No self-raising flour? Add 2 tsp baking powder for every 150g plain flour

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    2000kj
    479kcal     24%

  • Fat

    27g 38%

  • Saturates

    12g 62%

  • Sugars

    35g 39%

  • Salt

    0.8g 13%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 52.2g Protein 6.2g Fibre 3.1g

Method

  1. Put the dates in a heatproof bowl; pour over the hot tea, if using, or 150ml boiling water, and soak for 10 mins. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C and grease and line 2 x 18cm round loose-bottomed cake tins with nonstick baking paper. Blitz the dates and their soaking liquid to a purée; set aside to cool for 5 mins.
  2. Beat together the baking spread and sugar with an electric whisk for 2-3 mins until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the blitzed dates and vanilla extract.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix together the fl our, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, mixed spice and carrots, then fold into the wet mixture until just combined. Divide the batter between the prepared tins and level with the back of a spoon. Bake for 30-35 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 mins in the tins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. Meanwhile, put all the ingredients for the icing in a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until it just holds stiff peaks. Put in the fridge while you make the toffee sauce.
  5. Put all the toffee sauce ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat until melted together. Leave to cool completely.
  6. To assemble the cake, carefully cut each cooled sponge in half to give 4 thinner sponges. You don’t have to cut the sponges into four. Two big sponges with a more generous layer of icing in the middle also works. Spread half the icing between the layers and stack them up. Swirl the remaining icing on top. Drizzle the toffee sauce over the top, allowing it to flow down the sides, just before serving. Scatter with the chopped walnuts and orange zest to serve.

Tip: If you want to make the cake ahead, assemble the cake up to 12 hours in advance and keep chilled in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Freezing and defrosting guidelines

Freeze the undecorated sponges wrapped in a layer of cling film and kitchen foil for up to a month. Defrost at room temperature. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.

See more Carrot cake recipes

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