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–+ servings

Tamarind Carrot Cake

This carrot cake is a moist, sweet, absolutely delicious version of carrot cake with the unique addition of tamarind paste. Native to Africa and Asia, this tart, subtly sweet fruit adds a unique level of sharpness, fruitiness and flavor to carrot cake that simultaneously compliments its classic flavors while making it taste like something you've never had before.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 1 9" snacking cake

Equipment

  • 1 box grater
  • 1 whisk
  • 1 9" round cake tin

Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 & 1/2 cups grated carrots, loosely packed, 290 grams
  • 1" knob fresh ginger, grated
  • 1/4 cup white sugar, 55 grams
  • 1 cup loosely packed light brown sugar, 190 grams
  • 14 tbsp neutral oil such as avocado oil or canola oil, a shallow 1 cup
  • 2 tbsp tamarind paste, 28 grams
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, 280 grams
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, use half if using Morton's
  • 1-2 tbsp tahini, for swirling on top of the cake

Instructions 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs for 1-2 minutes, until they become a shade lighter in color, from orange to light yellow.
  3. Add in the grated carrots and ginger and whisk to combine. Add in the sugars, oil and tamarind paste and mix very well.
  4. In the same bowl, pour in the flour, the ground ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, baking powder and salt and use the whisk to gently stir into a thick batter.
  5. In a parchment-lined (or greased) 9" round cake pan, pour in the batter. To use a different kind of baking dish, see recipe notes.
  6. Add dots of tahini all over the top of the batter and use a toothpick to swirl into a loopy design (see blog post for photos).
  7. Bake at 350°F for 48-52 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
  8. Let cool before slicing and serving, and enjoy!

Notes

This recipe is best done in a shallow baking dish. It can be done in a loaf pan, but it tends not to dome like a normal loaf would. I recommend using baking dishes that are no taller than 3-4 inches in height. This will ensure the cake cooks evenly and domes beautifully! Here are rules of thumb for different baking instruments: 
For muffins, cook 18-22 minutes before checking
For two shallow loaf tins, bake 30-40 minutes before checking
For a square 8x8" baking dish, bake 35-40 minutes before checking