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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.
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Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:1 hour
Total Time:1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Servings: 1 9" snacking cake

Equipment

  • 1 grater or microplane
  • 1 large 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

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • 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.
  • Add in the grated carrots and ginger and whisk to combine. Add in the sugars, oil and tamarind paste and mix very well.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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).
  • Bake at 350°F for 48-52 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
  • 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