Perfect for your Easter baking, this cake combines crisp carrot and spicy-sweet candied ginger. Top with a confectioners’ sugar glaze, and you have a cake that’s just as awe-inspiring as it is delicious. Find more one-bowl baking wonders in our new One Bowl Baking Special Issue.
Ginger Chai Carrot Cake
Makes 1 (9-inch) cake
Ingredients
- 1 1⁄2 cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3⁄4 cup (165 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons (7.5 grams) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cardamom
- 1⁄2 teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
- 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1⁄8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1⁄3 cup (75 grams) canola oil
- 1⁄3 cup (80 grams) low-fat buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature
- 1 (8-ounce) can (227 grams) crushed pineapple, drained
- 2 cups (198 grams) grated carrot
- 1⁄2 cup (64 grams) golden raisins
- 1⁄3 cup (57 grams) finely chopped candied ginger
- Carrot Cake Glaze (recipe below)
- Garnish: finely chopped candied ginger
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and flour a 9-inch round tall-sided cake pan; line bottom of pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, and pepper. Make a well in center of flour mixture; add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs, folding to combine. Fold in pineapple, carrot, raisins, and ginger. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto a wire rack, and let cool completely. Drizzle cooled cake with Carrot Cake Glaze. Garnish with ginger, if desired.
Carrot Cake Glaze
Makes about 1⁄2 cup
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together confectioners’ sugar and cream. Use immediately.
This was just fabulous! Ginger, Chai, and carrot cake are my all-time favorites, for starters. The cake came out fluffy and moist, with a beautiful tender crumb. I doubled the quantity of ground ginger, so it was even spicier, but even our grandchildren aged 18 months to 5, gobbled it down, along with their parents and grandparents! Thanks for this gem. I’m looking forward to many more such wonderful, one-bowl recipes.
I am not sure why this cake has “chai” in it’s name. This recipe does not call for tea (chai) so I was wondering about the name.
Hello,
Thank you so much for your question! Chai tea is made by blending black tea with a combination of herbs and spices. These spices often include cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and pepper. So, we took this common blend of spices and incorporated them into this cake to make it chai spiced. Hope this helps!
Happy Baking!