Mary Berry Carrot and Walnut Cake Recipe

This Mary Berry-inspired carrot and walnut cake is everything I want from a classic: tender, moist crumbs, a gentle warmth of spice, and plenty of toasted walnut crunch. Finished with a thick layer of tangy cream cheese frosting, it tastes rich without being heavy. It’s an easy, reliable bake that suits confident beginners and experienced home bakers alike. Total time is about 1 hour 15 minutes, including cooling enough to frost.

Ingredients

For the Carrot and Walnut Cake

• Butter or non-stick spray, for greasing
• Baking parchment, for lining
• 200g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 175g light muscovado sugar (or soft light brown sugar)
• 3 large eggs
• 175ml sunflower or vegetable oil
• 250g carrots, coarsely grated (about 3 medium)
• 100g walnuts, roughly chopped (toast them if you have time)
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• 75g unsalted butter, softened
• 350g icing sugar, sifted
• 250g full-fat cream cheese, cold
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of fine salt

To Finish (Optional, but Lovely)

• Walnut halves, for decorating
• Finely grated orange zest, for decorating

How to Make Mary Berry Carrot and Walnut Cake

• Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease two 20cm (8-inch) sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment so the cakes release cleanly.
• Toast the walnuts (optional, but recommended): Warm a dry frying pan over a medium heat, add the walnuts and toast for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often. Tip onto a plate to cool, then roughly chop.
• Mix the dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the self-raising flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt. This quick whisk helps the cake rise evenly.
• Whisk the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, oil, orange zest and vanilla until glossy and well combined. You do not need an electric mixer here, just a good whisk and a minute or two of effort.
• Fold in carrots and walnuts: Stir in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts. Add the dry ingredients and fold gently until you can’t see any flour. Stop as soon as it’s combined to keep the sponge tender.
• Bake: Divide the batter between the tins and level the tops. Bake on the middle shelf for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cakes are risen, springy to the touch, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Cool completely: Leave the cakes in their tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting, otherwise the frosting will soften and slide.
• Make the frosting: Beat the softened butter until smooth, then beat in the icing sugar (start slowly to avoid a sugar cloud). Add the cold cream cheese, vanilla and salt, and mix briefly until thick, smooth and spreadable. If it seems soft, chill for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Assemble and decorate: Place one cake on a serving plate and spread a generous layer of frosting on top. Add the second cake, then frost the top (and sides if you’d like a fully covered cake). Finish with walnut halves and a little orange zest.

Tips

Why is my carrot cake dense instead of light?

The most common cause is overmixing once the flour goes in. Fold gently and stop as soon as the flour disappears. Also check your raising agents are fresh, and weigh your ingredients rather than using guesswork.

How do I stop cream cheese frosting from turning runny?

Use full-fat cream cheese and keep it cold until you need it. Beat the butter and icing sugar first, then add the cream cheese and mix briefly, just until smooth. Overbeating warms the frosting and loosens it.

How do I get neat, even layers?

Weigh the batter into each tin for a perfectly level sandwich. If your cakes dome slightly, let them cool fully, then trim the tops with a serrated knife before assembling.

Can I make this cake less sweet?

You can reduce the sugar in the sponge by 25g without changing the texture too much. For the frosting, keep the icing sugar as written for structure, then balance sweetness with the pinch of salt and a little extra cream cheese if needed.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with a mug of strong tea or coffee.
• Add a few fresh berries on the side for a lighter plate.
• For a dinner-party style finish, serve thin slices with a spoonful of lightly whipped cream.
• Sprinkle extra toasted walnuts over each slice just before serving for crunch.

Storage

Room Temperature

If your kitchen is cool, you can keep the cake (covered) at room temperature for up to 1 day. Cream cheese frosting is best kept chilled if the room is warm.

Refrigerator

Store the frosted cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let slices sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before eating so the sponge softens and the flavours come through.

Freezing

Freeze the unfrosted cake layers for up to 3 months. Wrap each layer tightly in cling film, then foil, and freeze. Defrost overnight in the fridge (still wrapped), then bring to room temperature and frost. You can freeze frosted slices too, but the frosting texture is nicest when freshly made.

Nutrition

• Calories: 495 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 52 g
• Protein: 6 g
• Fat: 30 g
• Saturated Fat: 12 g
• Sodium: 320 mg

Nutrition values are estimates and will vary depending on ingredients used and portion size.

FAQs

Mary Berry Carrot and Walnut Cake Recipe

Recipe by Milli RoseCourse: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

slices

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Total time

75

minutes

Calories

495

kcal

50

minutes

Moist, gently spiced carrot and walnut cake with tangy cream cheese frosting. An easy, classic British-style bake for tea time, birthdays, and any time you want a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

• Butter or non-stick spray, for greasing tins

• Baking parchment, for lining

• 200g self-raising flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

• 1/4 tsp fine salt

• 175g light muscovado sugar (or soft light brown sugar)

• 3 large eggs

• 175ml sunflower or vegetable oil

• 250g carrots, coarsely grated (about 3 medium)

• 100g walnuts, roughly chopped

• Zest of 1 orange

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 75g unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)

• 350g icing sugar, sifted

• 250g full-fat cream cheese, cold

• 1 tsp vanilla extract (for frosting)

• Pinch of fine salt (for frosting)

• Walnut halves, to decorate (optional)

• Finely grated orange zest, to decorate (optional)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line two 20cm (8-inch) sandwich tins.
• (Optional) Toast the walnuts in a dry pan for 3–4 minutes, then cool and chop.
• In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt.
• In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, oil, orange zest and vanilla until glossy and well combined.
• Fold in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts, then fold in the dry ingredients just until no floury streaks remain.
• Divide the mixture between the tins, level the tops, and bake for 25–30 minutes until springy and a skewer comes out clean.
• Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
• For the frosting, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the icing sugar, then add the cold cream cheese, vanilla and salt. Mix briefly until thick and smooth.
• Sandwich the cakes with frosting, then spread the remaining frosting on top. Decorate with walnut halves and a little orange zest if you like.

Notes

• For the best frosting texture, use full-fat cream cheese straight from the fridge and avoid overbeating.
• Weigh your cake batter into the tins for even layers and a neat finish.
• Unfrosted sponges freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Defrost fully before frosting.