Spelt Bundt Carrot Cake with cream cheese icing

Are you looking for a carrot cake recipe with Spelt flour in a bundt pan? This recipe is a super moist carrot cake and full of extra deliciousness with the added extra pistachios, orange and of course cream cheese icing.

Carrot cake is an all-time favourite amongst a-lot of cake lovers, you may be on the lookout for the best moist carrot cake recipe ever. When I was searching for a bundt cake recipe for my friends birthday I stumbled across this Tesco recipe online.

This spelt carrot cake recipe is a dense cake but super moist that it stays fresh for days. With the extra special treat of cream cheese icing and candied pistachios, this decorates the cake to look super special and give that 'ooh argh factor'.

How do you make a moist carrot cake?

My secret is using vegetable oil instead of butter to make a super moist carrot cake and the added slight crunch of the pistachios will make this my new favourite recipe from now on.

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Ingredients

• melted butter, for greasing
• 180g shelled pistachios and chopped (leave 30g to decorate)
• 300g spelt flour (you could swap out for plain flour)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 1 orange, zested (leave some long strips for the top)
• 300ml sunflower or vegetable oil
• 280g light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 300g carrots (about 3 medium carrots), peeled and coarsely grated (I used my food processor)
  

For the topping

• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 350g soft cream cheese
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 30g pistachios
• A little long strips of grated orange rind

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C or fan 160°C.
2. Grease a large 2.4-litre bundt tin liberally with melted butter, making sure you grease it well to ensure the cake doesn't stick. (7.10.20 updated) I'd now recommend greasing just before pouring in the batter.
3. Grate your carrots with a hand grater or in the food processor, better if they are left a little course. It adds to the texture of the cake.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, sugar and eggs together until well combined, then stir in the grated carrot.
5. Roughly chop 150g pistachios. In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, bicarb, spices, salt and most of the orange zest in a large bowl and set it aside.
6. Now combine the dry ingredients with the carrot mixture, whisking until the mixture is just combined.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. You may like to check the cake after 20 minutes, if the top appears to be cracking, place foil over the top and bake for another 15-20 minutes.
8. Cool in the tin on top of a moist tea towel for 10 minutes before carefully flipping out to release your bundt cake onto a wire rack and setting aside to cool completely before icing.
9. While waiting for the cake to cool place the remaining 30g pistachios in a small baking dish, toss with 1/2-1 tbsp of the maple syrup and bake for 5 mins until sticky and just toasted but not brown. Tip into a bowl and allow to cool before chopping.
10. Add 2 tablespoons of icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup into a mixing bowl with the soft cream cheese and whisk until it just holds its shape. Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. Place the frosting over the cake using the back of a spoon, and scatter over the candied pistachios and remaining orange zest to serve. Your cake will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.