This post for Traybake recipes is a post most close to my heart. They are a family mainstay and the easiest way to bake for a larger crowd. Just so simple and down to earth. This Carrot Cake is one of my oldest and most trusted recipes. I cannot recall a single instance that it has ever not delivered.
Carrot Cake Traybake
Traybake Recipes
Traybakes are almost made for the school holidays. They are just the best especially when you’re entertaining a group of children. They are perfect for mass sharing with Tom, Dick and Harry. Any left overs can be placed in Tupperware for a nibble later or even better a midnight feast. I’m obviously not advocating secret snaffling in the dark in men’s pyjamas…….that’s not me at all…….no.
I love them for their simplicity and easy serving ability. I love them for how they make me all warm inside. They feel all about nostalgia and childhood picnics. I feel like I’m almost at boarding school when faced with a pile of Flapjacks or Incredible Chocolate Brownies and give me Millionaires Shortbread and I’m practically a member of the Famous Five……
Carrot Cake
My first Traybake is this gorgeous Carrot Cake. It is a larger Traybake but this Carrot Cake keeps so well as it is incredibly moist. I keep it in the fridge actually as I like the Cream Cheese Icing cold for some reason not known to myself. But it is fine in an air tight container. I also sometimes bake it in a 8″ very deep cake tin and then ice the pants off it but it works just as well here.
It really is an incredibly delicious Traybake too. So much so that it is the cake that I am most asked for. Kids and adults alike. The cream cheese icing is also divine and compliments it perfectly. It also rarely goes wrong. I’m not sure why apart from the fact that it is quite a stout batter. The Iron Man of cake batters if ever there was one. Nothing can make this bad boy sink in the middle.
Carrot Cake Ingredients
I start by whipping the oil, sugar and eggs together in a free standing mixer but you can of course use a hand held electric whisk, until pale and thick.
Eggs, sugar and oil whisked together.
Your whisk should leave a trail in the mixture for a couple of seconds.
Then tip in the rest of the ingredients apart from the grated carrot and mix well.
Eggs, oil, sugar and dry ingredients beaten together.
Finally tip in the carrots.
Grated carrot on top of the cake batter.
There is a lot of mixture. Tip and scrape the batter into the baking tray and bake for about an hour at 170 C. It will almost certainly take the full hour. If it starts to catch then cover with a little tin foil. Using a cake skewer to check it is cooked is not foolproof here because of the oil in the cake. So I would err on the side of caution and complete the full hour.
Carrot Cake Tray Bake
It will have a craggy, gentle mountainous appearance when it leaves the oven. Your kitchen will smell divine. I use a 20 cm by 30 cm and 5 cm deep lined baking tray. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
Baked Carrot Cake
Put the icing ingredients in a food processor and whizz until white with no buttery flecks. If you are without a food processor then sieve the icing sugar into a large bowl with the other ingredients and whisk with a hand held electric whisk. Once cool ice this fabulous beast of a traybake.
Carrot Cake
Does Carrot Cake Freeze Well ?
Yes it freezes very well. Wrap in a double layer of tin foil after wrapping in clingfilm first. In reality it is better to freeze in some sort of container too. Most freezers are busy places so you want to protect the cake from breaking or schmushing. Simply defrost at room temperature within the wrappings for about four hours or so and ice as usual.
Can You Freeze Cream Cheese Icing?
Yes you can. Simply freeze in a stout container and thaw in the fridge for 12 hours. You may need to whip it through with a hand held whisk to get a smooth texture again.
How To Store Carrot Cake.
This all depends on how much is eaten! For a long time I was put off baking tray bakes because I couldn’t store them easily. I finally decided I could bear it no longer and bought a square lidded tupperware cake carrier. I can store this whole tray bake uncut in it but any air tight container will do. I put a layer of baking paper in there to line the tin/tub. You may have to shimmy the pieces around and perhaps use two or more containers depending on the sizes you have. It lasts very well but the icing requires a little more care. So if you are wanting it to last more than a couple of days then keep it in the fridge in your container/s.
Carrot Traybake
This Carrot Traybake recipe is one of my signature bakes. Moist, spiced with Cinnamon and topped with delicious cream cheese Icing. It's always a crowd pleaser.
Ingredients
- 300 mls vegetable oil
- 400 grams plain flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 400 grams caster sugar
- 4 medium eggs
- 2 tsps cinnamon
- 400 grams grated carrot I use my food processor to just whizz them to tiny carrot rubble
- 1/2 tsp salt
Cream Cheese Icing
- 350 grams icing sugar
- 200 grams full fat cream cheese
- 50 grams unsalted butter not soft but not straight from the fridge
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 170 C/325 F/Gas Mark 3
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Whisk the 4 eggs, 400 grams/ 14 oz sugar and 300 mls oil together until pale and mousse like.
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Add the 400 grams/14 oz flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp cinnamon and mix thoroughly.
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Add the 400 grams/14 oz grated carrot and mix well.
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Tip out into your lined baking tray and level off.
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Bake for an hour.
Cream Cheese Icing
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I just whizz the whole lot in the food processor so I don't have to sieve. I can't bear to sieve. Make sure the cream cheese is cold from the fridge.
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Slather it everywhere.
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Apply to Dog Rough Face.
Due to the fact that I am rather a fiend for Tray bakes. Here are some more seriously delicious tray bake recipes from my blog. Click on the links to go straight to the recipes….
These are the most incredible Flapjacks EVER!. I do not say that lightly. Crisp on the outside and chewy within they really are sensational and so easy to whip up in a mere moment.
The Best Flapjacks
This is the most delicious recipe for Millionaires Shortbread that I have ever tried. It is both simple and absolutely all that a Millionaires Shortbread should be. Rich, chewy with toffee caramel and perfect shortbread biscuit. I have yet to come across any child or adult that can resist.
Millionaires Shortbread.
I have made these Brownies so many times I could make them in my sleep. They are truly stupendous and stop everyone mid bite for a chocolatey moment.
Chocolate Brownies
This is such a wonderful fruity Tray bake. With warmly spiced Rhubarb on top of the moist cake and a heavy smattering of buttery, nubbly crumble on top this hits the spot every time and is one of my most popular recipes on the blog.
Rhubarb Crumble Cake
Autumn Spiced Pumpkin Tray Bake
This is another warmly spiced delicious recipe. Perfect for Autumn and Halloween.
Autumn Spiced Pumpkin Traybake.
This is a super easy chocolate traybake and such a winner with the children.
Chocolate Shortbread
Here is another simple bake although not strictly a traybake!
Lemon Drizzle Cake
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I have linked this post with #Recipe of the Week over at A Mummy Too – #Brilliant Blog Post over at Honest Mum – #BakeOfTheWeek @https://casacostello.com and Jenny @https://mummymishaps.co.uk – #CookOnceEatTwice over at Searching for Spice – #FiestaFriday with Mara @ Put on Your Cake Pants and Hilda @ Along the Grapevine and #Cook Blog Share over with Eb at Easy Peasy Foodie
What an utterly fabulous selection of totally delicious traybakes. I am particularly fond of carrot cake, but I wouldn’t say no to any of these!! Good luck with the kids – mine have done their fair share of bickering this summer hols, I am rather enjoying now having an office I can retreat to… Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare. Eb x
Thanks Eb,the little blighters have been so bad today I have been reduced to zero tolerance and what a surprise, they can get along after all!!!!Have a fabulous and peaceful weekend !
Very amusing post. I do hope all works out well for you at the hotel. An impressive assortment of tray bakes. Thanks for sharing them with us at Fiesta Friday.
Thanks Hilda.So do I!! Thanks for hosting.
These all look so delicious that I almost can’t blame your children for arguing about whether one piece might be the tiniest bit bigger than another! My brother and I generally got along quite well as children, but I’m sure that different sized pieces of Millionaires shortbread could have incited a riot. Thanks for sharing all these at Fiesta Friday and best of luck making it through the remainder of the holidays!
Thanks. Absolutely love your blogs name!! Thanks for hosting.
These traybakes all sound delicious and I especially like the carrot one, the rhubarb one and the pumpkin one! In fact, I’d be quite happy with any of them. Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice!
Testing comments.
What a selection Jenny! I absolutely adore carrot cake so it would be a no-brainer for me which one to start with! I hope your hols are fantastic and family shared hotel room situation works out well 😉 ! xx
So do I!!! Hope your hols were fab xx
Gorgeous tray bake selection. I’d happily eat all of them…. if you make them gluten free for me!
I feel for your daughter as much as I feel for mine…. not! I am so sick of hearing how ‘untrendy’, out of date and old I am compared to the parents of her friends….. It is (quite frankly) about time I was appreciated for my huge amounts of aged wisdom and experience compared to these young whipper-snappers that have lots of energy, but little sense!
Yes I agree… I’m so over it now!!!Little sh.ts…..I make lots of Cake for goodness sake…..
Oh yes, cream cheese frosting definitely has to be cold to be enjoyed best! You have reminded me that I’ve not made carrot cake for ages. Traybakes are the way forward for entertaining the troops over the never ending summer hols. Fellow tramp mother here too! Thanks for joining in with #Bakeoftheweek
OMG that’s so what I am! Love it…tramp Mother. I even feel a bit proud…..
Lovely choices of tray bakes, thanks ?
Thank you.
Baked the carrot cake tray bake this weekend and used as birthday cake was bloody wonderful !! Also just baked flapjacks again taste great and easy to do !!!
So glad to hear it Donna.Love it when I can spread the filling of face. Much love xx
Can’t wait to make this ?