Nothing beats a slice of homemade carrot cake with a nice cuppa, does it? The Queen is clearly of the same opinion as it's often on her afternoon tea menu too.
In Royal Teas: Seasonal Recipes from Buckingham Palace, Royal Chef Mark Flanagan and Royal Pastry Chef Kathryn Cuthbertson have shared the exact carrot cake recipe they cook for Her Majesty – and it looks utterly delicious. The authors describe the cake as 'a dark, spicy cake, deliciously moist and very moreish'.
Try baking the royal recipe with the instructions below!
MORE: Royal ladies' favourite desserts revealed - and they might surprise you!
The Queen's carrot cake recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 2 small free-range eggs
- 105g dark brown sugar
- 105g soft brown sugar
- 150g wholemeal flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 35g sour cream
- 105g sunflower oil
- 180g carrots, grated
- 45g desiccated coconut
For the cream cheese topping:
- 110g full-fat soft cream cheese
- 50g unsalted butter
- 50g icing sugar
- Juice of half a lemon
Equipment:
18 cm / 7" cake tin
Royal Teas: Seasonal Recipes from Buckingham Palace, £12.95, Royal Collection shop
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 170C (325F, gas mark 3).
Step 2
Prepare the cake tin by greasing with butter and lining the bottom and sides with baking paper. Place the lined tin on to a flat, heavy-duty baking tray and leave to one side until required.
Step 3
Whisk together the eggs, sugars and sunflower oil in a bowl until thoroughly mixed. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and spices. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mix until all ingredients are combined evenly. Finally, fold through the grated carrots and sour cream.
Step 4
Pour the carrot cake mix into the lined cake tin. Place on the middle shelf of the preheated oven and bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until the cake springs back when touched. Once baked remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
For the cream cheese topping:
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the softened butter. Beat well until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and continue beating until a smooth consistency is achieved. Finally, slowly add the lemon juice whilst still mixing.
To assemble the carrot cake:
Once completely cool, remove the carrot cake from the cake tin and place on your desired serving plate or cake stand. Using a palette knife, carefully smooth the cream cheese topping evenly across the top of the cake.
Royal Teas: Seasonal Recipes from Buckingham Palace, Published by Royal Collection Trust. Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020.
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