Moist, gently spiced and finished with a soft cream cheese frosting, this carrot cake tastes celebratory without being difficult to make. Our Mixed Sweet Spices adds layered warmth from cinnamon, clove, ginger and nutmeg, with coriander and fennel bringing a subtle aromatic lift.

The cakes can be baked a day ahead, making this a lovely choice for birthdays, afternoon tea or a relaxed weekend bake.

🧾 Ingredients

For the cake

• 250ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
• 200g light brown sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 250g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp Mixed Sweet Spices
• 300g carrots, coarsely grated
• 75g walnuts, roughly chopped, optional
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange

For the frosting

• 100g unsalted butter, softened
• 150g icing sugar, sifted
• 300g full-fat cream cheese, chilled
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Orange zest and a few walnuts, to decorate

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan or Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins.
2. Whisk the oil, sugar and eggs together until smooth. Fold in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and Mixed Sweet Spices.
3. Fold through the carrots, walnuts and orange zest. Divide evenly between the tins.
4. Bake for 28–32 minutes, until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn onto a rack and cool completely.
5. Beat the butter and icing sugar until pale and smooth. Add the cream cheese and vanilla, then mix briefly just until combined; overbeating can loosen the frosting.
6. Sandwich the cakes with one-third of the frosting. Spread the remainder over the top and finish with orange zest and walnuts.

⏱️ Timings

• Preparation: 30 minutes
• Baking: 28–32 minutes
• Cooling and decorating: about 1 hour
• Serves: 10–12

🍰 Serving Suggestions

Serve with tea or coffee. Keep the finished cake chilled, then bring it towards room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

💛 Why This Recipe Works

Oil and grated carrot keep the sponge tender for days, while orange brightens the deeper spice notes. The tangy frosting balances the brown sugar without making the cake cloying.

🌿 Try It With

Add a touch more warmth with Ground Ginger, or decorate with a light dusting of Ground Cinnamon.

🍽️ More Recipes Using Mixed Sweet Spices

• Mixed Sweet Spice Plum & Apple Chutney
• Mixed Sweet Spice Pork & Apple Stir-Fry
• Mixed Sweet Spice Orange-Glazed Gammon
• Hot Mixed Sweet Spice Chai Latte
• Mixed Sweet Spice Apple & Pear Crumble

🛒 Get the Blend

Bring warm, aromatic flavour to sweet and savoury cooking with our Mixed Sweet Spices. Get Mixed Sweet Spices →

💬 Stay Connected

Follow Spice & Dipity on Facebook for more recipes, serving ideas and cooking inspiration.