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slice of purple carrot cake topped with cream cheese frosting

Purple Carrot Cake

Jill Colonna
Purple Carrot Cake, just as moist and tasty as orange carrot cake, but with reduced sugar, less oil and full of surprising health benefits.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Dessert, teatime
Cuisine British
Servings 12 people
Calories 470 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Purple Carrot Cake

  • 300 g (11oz/ 2 cups) organic purple carrots (or red/orange carrots) grated
  • 300 g (11oz/ 2½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 170 g (6oz/ ¾ cup) soft dark brown sugar muscovado or ’vergeoise’ in France
  • 3 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 3 teaspoon ground gingerbread spice (pain d'épices) or pumpkin spice/all spice
  • 1 organic orange (unwaxed) zest keep 1 teaspoon for the frosting
  • 3 organic eggs
  • 225 ml (8fl oz/ 0.9 cup) sunflower oil (or other neutral oil)

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 70 g (2.5oz/ ⅓ cup) butter, unsalted softened
  • 225 g (8oz/ 1 cup) soft cream cheese (full fat) at room temperature
  • 70 g (2.5oz/ ½ cup) icing (confectioner's) sugar
  • few drops vanilla extract or good pinch of vanilla powder
  • 1 teaspoon organic orange zest

Instructions
 

Purple Carrot Cake

  • Preheat oven to 180°C/360°F (160°C fan/Gas 4).
  • In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, spice and orange zest. Whisk together the eggs and oil, then stir into the dry ingredients with the grated carrots.
  • Grease a round cake tin or springform tin (23cm/9 inch) and line it with baking parchment. Pour the mixture into the lined tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer poked in comes out clean.
  • Leave to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a cooling rack.
  • Optional for a flat cake: using a cake levelling cutter or a good sharp knife, cut the top off the cake then turn the cake upside down directly on to the serving plate.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Beat the butter until creamy, then beat in the soft cheese, icing sugar, orange zest and vanilla.
    Either spread the frosting on top of the cake using a palette knife or use a piping bag with a plain or star tip to pipe out your own creative topping.

Notes

Tea partners with carrot cake: serve with either Assam, Yunnan, Rooibos, or Earl Grey teas, for example.
This recipe also exists as individual carrot cake muffins, which are great for transporting for school fêtes or picnics.
Nutrition: Protein: 3g; Carbohydrates: 40g; Lipids: 24g; Glycemic Index: 30

Nutrition

Calories: 470kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 5gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 331mgPotassium: 173mgFiber: 2gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 4640IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 114mgIron: 2mg
Keyword carrot cake healthy, healthy carrot cake recipe, low sugar carrot cake, purple carrot cake, Purple carrot recipes, reduced sugar carrot cake recipe
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