How to Make a Yummy Carrot and Date Cake

A spicy carrot and date cake!  Ideal when you want something sweet and spicy with a hot cup of coffee on a cold Autumn afternoon!  This is my recipe for a spicy, aromatic carrot and date cake.

Ingredients for Carrot and Date Cake

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp chilli flakes

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 grated medium carrots

1 cup chopped, pitted dates

1  cup of orange juice

1/2 cup wholemeal self-raising flour

1 cup white self-raising flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup soft brown sugar

100g butter chopped

(when using cups choose a medium cup and use only that cup to measure with)

Make and Bake that Carrot and Date Cake!

Set oven to 175 c (or gas mark 4/350 f).

Grease and flour a loaf tin.

Add some of the flour to the dates and toss until all the chopped dates are covered.

In a small bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the eggs and orange juice and beat together until well mixed and put to one side.

In a large bowl sift the flour, add the spices, baking powder, salt and chilli flakes.  Mix together.

Add the grated carrots and the dates to the large bowl mix and mix it all together.

Pour the wet mix from the small bowl into the large bowl and mix until you have a cake batter.

Put the mix into the loaf tin and place it on the middle shelf of the oven for 35-45 minutes.

Once baked remove from the oven, allow cooling slightly before removing from the tin.

You can serve the cake as it is, or add a light dusting of icing sugar.

However, if you fancy a lovely creamy icing then why not try out my Quick Cream Cheese Icing below!

Quick Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients

250g cold cream cheese

50g softened butter

275g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla or orange extract

optional – 1/4 tsp chilli flakes for an extra kick

zest from an orange for decoration

How to Make the Icing

Beat butter until creamy and light, add cream cheese and beat until soft and smooth.  Add the vanilla or orange extract and stir until well mixed.

Add the vanilla or orange extract (and chilli flakes if you like it HOT!), stir until well mixed.

Gradually add the icing sugar, keep beating the mix until it is fully combined.

Spread onto the top of the cooled cake and sprinkle the orange zest on top of the icing.

Hope you enjoy this aromatic and spicy carrot and date cake.  We certainly enjoyed making it.  Feel free to miss out the chilli flakes if you do not like hot, spicy food.

This article was originally posted in 2017 and is now updated for 2019.