The Only Carrot Cake Recipe You'll Ever Need (Orange Twist!)

Kitchen Tools I Cook With: https://amzn.to/47KTh6J Some links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. --- Baking Time: ~1 hour at 320°F (160°C) Cake Pan Size: 9 inches (20 cm) 🥕 Carrot Cake Ingredients: Carrots – 10 oz (300 g), about 3–4 medium carrots Eggs – 4 medium Sugar - 1 cup (200 g) All-purpose flour – 2 cups (250 g) Baking powder – 2 tsp (10-12 g) Baking soda – 1 tsp (4–5 g) Vegetable oil – ¾ cup + 1 tbsp (200 ml) Vanilla extract – 1 tsp Walnuts – 1 cup (100 g) Orange zest – from 1 orange (optional) Nutmeg – ½ tsp (optional) Cinnamon – 1 tsp (optional, but highly recommended!) 🧁 Cream Cheese Frosting: Butter (softened) – 3.5 oz (100 g) Cream cheese (Philadelphia or similar) – 12 oz (340 g) Vanilla extract – 1 tsp Powdered sugar – 1 cup (120 g) Heavy cream (35%) – ¼ cup (60 ml, optional) 🍯 Caramelized Walnuts (optional): Walnuts – 1 cup (3.5 oz or 100 g) Sugar – 3 tbsp (50 g) Water – 2 tbsp (25 ml) Pinch of salt (optional) Butter (for shine, optional) – 5 g How to Make: 1. Lightly chop walnuts if desired or leave them whole. 2. Heat a pan over medium heat. 3. Add sugar and water, stirring until fully dissolved. 4. Let the syrup boil and caramelize (3–5 minutes). 5. Stir in the walnuts until fully coated. 6. Add butter for a glossy finish (optional). 7. Spread on parchment paper to cool. 🍊 Orange Syrup (optional): Fresh orange juice – about ⅓ cup (100 ml) Sugar – 3 tbsp (50 g) How to Make: 1. Combine orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan. 2. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar dissolves. 3. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1–2 minutes. 4. Let it cool before soaking the cake layers. 📝 Tip: Add 1 tsp vanilla or orange liqueur (like Cointreau) for extra flavor!