Moist Oriental Carrot Cake (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Cake batter
01 -
1½ cups (200g) all-purpose flour
02 -
1 cup (200g) brown sugar, packed
03 -
10 tablespoons (150g) unsalted butter, room temperature
04 -
1½ teaspoons baking powder
05 -
3 large eggs, room temperature
06 -
5 tablespoons milk
07 -
2/3 cup (70g) carrots, finely grated
08 -
1/2 cup (60g) shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
→ Pomegranate glaze
09 -
Juice from ½ pomegranate (about 3-4 tablespoons)
10 -
2 cups (250g) powdered sugar, sifted
11 -
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional, for consistency)
12 -
1 tablespoon plain cream cheese (optional, for richer texture)
→ Garnish
13 -
Zest of 1 lemon
14 -
2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
15 -
3 tablespoons fresh pomegranate seeds
# Instructions:
01 -
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9×5 inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan thoroughly, then dust with flour, tapping out any excess. Sift the flour into a medium bowl and whisk in the baking powder to ensure even distribution. Peel and finely grate the carrots using the small holes of a box grater.
02 -
In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. This step is crucial for a tender crumb. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour (3 additions of flour, 2 of milk). Fold in the grated carrots and chopped pistachios just until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
03 -
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs. If the top starts browning too quickly, loosely cover with aluminum foil. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
04 -
To make the glaze, extract fresh juice from half a pomegranate by pressing the seeds through a fine mesh sieve. In a medium bowl, gradually add the pomegranate juice to the sifted powdered sugar, stirring until smooth and reaching a thick but pourable consistency. If needed, adjust the texture with a little lemon juice to thin it or cream cheese to thicken it. Pour the glaze over the completely cooled cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. While still wet, sprinkle with lemon zest, chopped pistachios, and fresh pomegranate seeds for a beautiful, colorful finish.
# Notes:
01 -
This unique cake combines earthy carrots with fragrant pistachios and a stunning pomegranate glaze. The texture is wonderfully moist with crunchy nut pieces throughout. For the glaze, you can adjust the consistency by adding more powdered sugar to thicken or lemon juice to thin. Adding a tablespoon of cream cheese creates a richer, less transparent glaze with a slight tang that complements the pomegranate beautifully.