Paul Holywood Carrot Cake – Spectacular & Easy

Paul Holywood Carrot Cake

Paul Hollywood’s ultimate carrot cake is a celebration of moist crumb, warm spices, and sweet pecans, finished with a tangy cream cheese frosting and jewel-like orange zest. Each forkful delivers comforting spice and vibrant citrus, making it utterly irresistible.

Find all our carrot cake recipe from around the world in our Carrot Cake Recipes: The Best from UK and Around the World

By Paul Hollywood
From Carrot Cake Recipes: The Best from UK and Around the World

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This carrot cake recipe scores a Nutri-Score of D, reflecting its indulgent mix of sugar, oil, and cream cheese frosting. Enjoy as a special treat alongside a balanced diet.

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Ingredients

• 155ml sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
• 230g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp mixed spice
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 230g light brown muscovado sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 satsuma or mandarin, plus strips to decorate
• 100g pecans, halved
• 260g carrots, coarsely grated
• 3 medium free-range eggs, beaten

For the icing

• 50g butter, softened
• 200g full-fat cream cheese (such as Philadelphia)
• 100g icing sugar, plus extra to dust
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange

For the orange peel

• 2 oranges
• 200ml water
• 200g caster sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Grease an 18cm loose-bottomed round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
2. Sift the self-raising flour, baking powder, cinnamon, mixed spice, and ginger into a large mixing bowl. Add the light brown muscovado sugar, satsuma or mandarin zest, pecans, and grated carrots. Stir until well combined.
3. Pour in the beaten eggs and sunflower oil. Mix thoroughly until you have a smooth, even batter.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Level the top with a spatula. Bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5. Transfer the cake to a wire rack. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out and let cool completely before icing.
6. For the icing, beat the butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer until very soft. Add the cream cheese and beat again until smooth. Sift in the icing sugar, add the orange zest, and beat until creamy and lump-free. Cover and chill until needed.
7. For the orange peel, pare the zest from the oranges. Place the water and caster sugar in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the orange zest, remove from the heat, and let the zest cool in the syrup.
8. Once the cake is cool, carefully cut it in half horizontally. Spread half the icing between the layers and the rest on top. Decorate with the candied orange zest strips and a dusting of icing sugar.

Tip: For extra moistness, whisk your eggs with a little sugar until thick and creamy, then slowly add the oil before folding into the dry ingredients. This helps prevent a greasy texture and gives a lighter crumb.

Looking for more options? Try Delia Smith’s carrot cake recipe.

Find all our carrot cake recipe from around the world in our Carrot Cake Recipes: The Best from UK and Around the World

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What can you serve with the Paul Holywood carrot cake

1. Crème fraîche – Its tangy creaminess balances the cake’s sweetness and richness.
2. Fresh orange segments – Add a burst of citrus that brightens the spiced flavours.
3. Espresso – The bold coffee notes cut through the cake’s sweet, nutty profile.
4. Vanilla gelato – A cool, creamy scoop complements the warmth of cinnamon and ginger.

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Nutri-score Health Check

This Paul Holywood carrot cake recipe receives a Nutri-Score of D, reflecting its indulgent nature with higher levels of sugar, oil, and cream cheese. The score is automatically calculated from the ingredients and serves as a guide only.

Positive Factors

• Carrots: Add fibre, vitamin A, and moisture.
• Pecans: Provide healthy fats, protein, and a satisfying crunch.
• Citrus zest: Brings vitamin C and bright flavour.

Negative Factors

• Muscovado sugar and icing sugar: Contribute to high sugar content.
• Sunflower oil and cream cheese: Increase the fat content, especially saturated fat.

While this carrot cake offers some nutritional benefits from its nuts and carrots, it is best enjoyed as an occasional treat due to its sugar and fat content.

Explore our master list for a moist and spiced carrot cake recipe that never fails.