Vanilla cinnamon carrot cake

A moist, lightly sweetened carrot cake with a lovely note of cinnamon and vanilla.

A soft cake, fragrant without heaviness, to serve plain or with a light frosting.

Ingredients

Cake

  • 225 g grated carrots
  • 225 g flour
  • 150 g melted butter
  • 180 g brown sugar
  • 2 tsp Madagascar cinnamon
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp Bourbon vanilla extract

Optional finishing

  • 120 g cream cheese
  • 60 g icing sugar
  • 0.5 bean vanilla seeds

Method

  1. Build the warm, spiced base (8 min)
    Mix butter, sugar, cinnamon and flour. Then add the beaten eggs and the grated carrots.
  2. Adjust the vanilla (3 min)
    Pour in the vanilla extract, then fine-tune with a little more cinnamon if needed, depending on the profile you want.
  3. Bake until soft at the center (50 min)
    Bake in a lined pan until the crumb is set but still moist.
  4. Finish lightly (10 min)
    Let cool, then pipe a very restrained cream cheese and vanilla frosting if you want a more pastry-style finish.

Why this recipe works

The carrot brings the moistness, the cinnamon shapes the recipe and the vanilla softens the finish.

Mistakes to avoid

Too much frosting or sugar quickly masks the spice and vanilla signature.

Storage and serving

The cake holds very well chilled and its aromas even become clearer after a few hours.

Tips

  • Balance: Carrot cake should stay moist and spiced, not saturated with sugar.
  • Frosting: Keep the finish light so the cinnamon and vanilla stay clear on the palate.

Recommended Vanille Désiré products

The cinnamon structures the whole, the extract anchors the batter, and the bean can return in the frosting or the finish.

FAQ

Can this carrot cake be made without frosting?
Yes, it holds up very well plain, with just a vanilla sugar or vanilla seed finish.
Can walnuts be added?
Yes, but in small amounts to keep a clean aromatic profile.

Sources