Carrot & cardamom cake

There is not much to say about this cake other than that it is my favourite. It keeps well and is perfect served with black coffee. This recipe is adapted from the bakery of the iconic Rosendal trädgården (a horticultural garden in front of Rosendal Palace) in Stockholm where they have been baking it for decades. The spices mixed with the carrot and creamy cheese frosting represents what many new Nordic desserts and sweets are all about: sweet and savoury working together.

Credit: Simon Bajada

• serves

  6

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  35 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 225 ml sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
• 310 g caster sugar
• 170 g grated carrot
• 3 eggs
• 240 g plain flour
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp crushed cardamom seeds
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 40 g chopped walnuts

Icing

• 200 g unsalted butter
• 200 g cream cheese
• 180 g icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Cooling time 10 minutes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200ºC or 180°C fan-forced.

Using an electric whisk on its highest setting, beat the oil and sugar together in a large mixing bowl for about 5 minutes, until white.

Keep beating while you add the carrot and the eggs, one at a time. Next add the flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt. Mix for a few minutes, then stir in the walnuts with a spatula.

Grease a 23 cm round cake tin and pour in the batter. Bake in the oven for 30–35 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in its tin for 10 minutes then turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

While the cake is cooling, make the icing by beating together all the ingredients until smooth.

Ensure the cake is completely cool before spreading over the icing. Serve with a cup of coffee or glass of milk.

Recipe and image from The New Nordic by Simon Bajada (Hardie Grant, $49.95, hbk)

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.