My deeply spiced Carrot Cake Loaf is absolutely delicious and you must try it immediately. Crushed pineapple creates a moist loaf and orange zest adds a touch of zing. Keep it plain and serve it warm or cool it down and finish it off with a cream cheese frosting.
I love the warm spices of a keke kāroti (carrot cake) and I know many of you feel the same way. Thankfully, this Carrot Cake Loaf brings all those same flavours but takes slightly less effort than a cake. Yes, I have decorated this loaf but that is completely optional. I was sending this loaf to one of my followers for The Giving Series. When I send those gifts away, I always want them to look super special for the recipients. So, I decorated the rohi kāroti (carrot loaf) within an inch of its life and I loved the final outcome. Whether you are going to serve this plain or fully decorated, let’s look at the recipe breakdown.
How to make this Carrot Cake Loaf:
Start the recipe by adding the huka (sugar), kiri ārani (orange zest) and amiami spices) in to a bowl. Rub them together to release the flavour. Add in the hēki (eggs), noni (oil), kāroti (carrot) and paināporo (pineapple). Mix it together and then fold through the dry ingredients. At this point you can fold through half a cup of your favourite nuts if you want to as well. Smooth the mixture in to prepared tin and then bake. Add extra moisture by basting the baked loaf with reserved wai paināporo (pineapple juice). Keep it plain, slice it warm and spread on a little pata (butter). Or, allow it to cool and decorate it with my simple pani reka kirīmi tīhi (cream cheese icing).
More recipes to try:
I love making loaves and cakes so if you need some inspiration, I am here for it! If you love a loaf but want a different flavour, this Spiced Banana Loaf is absolutely delicious. Another absolute favourite is my Spiced Gingerbread Loaf, topped with my Cream Cheese and White Chocolate Frosting. If you want to try a simple keke (cake) that is jam packed with flavour, this Whole Orange Almond Cake is a must try. There are so many more to choose from here.
Videography and photography taken by Sarah Henderson.
Carrot Cake Loaf – Rohi Kāroti
Ingredients
- 227 g kēna paināporo (can of pineapple, crushed)
- 1 C (200 g) huka hāura (brown sugar, tightly packed)
- 1 Kiri ārani (orange zest, of one orange)
- 1 tbsp raukikini whakauruuru (mixed spice)
- 1 tbsp tinitia kuoro (ground ginger)
- 2 tsp hinamona kuoro (ground cinnamon)
- ¾ tsp tote (salt, fine)
- 1 tbsp wanira (vanilla)
- 2 hēki (eggs, size 6)
- ½ C noni ōriwa (olive oil, or neutral oil)
- 2 C (225 g) kāroti kua waruwarutia (grated carrot, 2 medium carrots or 3 small carrots)
- 1 ¾ C (265 g) puehu parāoa noa (plain flour)
- 1 ½ tsp pēkana paura (baking powder)
- ½ tsp pēkana houra (baking soda)
- ½ C (70 g) your favourite nuts e.g walnuts. Optional.
Cream Cheese Frosting – Pani Reka Kirīmi Tīhi
- 80 g pata kūteretere (softened butter)
- ½ C (80 g) puehu huka (icing sugar)
- 2 tsp wanira (vanilla)
- 200 g kirīmi tīhi (cream cheese, make sure it has had at least an hour on the bench to come to room temperature, this will help make a nice, smooth frosting)
Instructions
Carrot Loaf – Rohi Kāroti
- Pre-heat the oven to 165 °C.Line a tin 12 cm wide, 22 cm long and around 7 cm deep with baking paper.
- Add a sieve to a small bowl or pot. Strain the juice from the paināporo (pineapple). The strained paināporo (pineapple) will go in the loaf and the juice will be used as a syrup to the baste the loaf after baking.
- Add the huka hāura (brown sugar), kiri ārani (orange zest), raukikini whakauruuru (mixed spice), hinamona kuoro (ground cinnamon), tinitia kuoro (ground ginger), tote (salt) and wanira (vanilla) in to a large bowl. Using your hands, rub these ingredients together to release the flavour of the ārani (orange) and amiami (spices).
- Add both of the hēki (eggs) in to the sugar mixture. Using a whisk, whip it all together for around 30 seconds until smooth.Drizzle in the noni (oil) and you continue to whisk for another 20 seconds.
- Add the strained paināporo (pineapple), reserving the juice for later. Mix it.Grate the kāroti (carrots) directly in to the mixture.
- Sift in the puehu parāoa noa (plain flour), pēkana paura (baking powder) and pēkana houra (baking soda). Whētuihia katoa – fold it all together. Pour the mixture in to the prepared loaf tin and smooth out the top.
Baking The Loaf
- Bake for 55 minutes. Test it by putting a skewer in to the centre of the loaf. If it comes out with sticky batter on it, give it 5 more minutes and check again.
Basting The Loaf
- Remove it from the oven once it is baked to perfection.Using a skewer, poke holes all over the keke (cake) around half way down. Using a pastry brush, baste ⅓ C of the reserved wai paināporo (pineapple juice) all over the rohi (loaf).Return the loaf to the oven, turn off the heat and leave to soak in for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the tin. It can be eaten warm with a smear of pata (butter). If you want to add the pani reka kirīmi tīhi (cream cheese icing), allow it to completely cool.
- This loaf will get more complex in flavour as it sits. Store it without the icing for up to 5 days in a sealed container. It would delicious toasted as well.
Cream Cheese Frosting – Pani Reka Kirīmi Tīhi
- Whip the pata kūteretere (softened butter), puehu huka (icing sugar) and wanira (vanilla) for a few minutes until light and fluffy in colour.
- Add the room temperature kirīmi tīhi (cream cheese). If it isn't quite at room temperature, gently smooth out the cream cheese on to a plate with your spatula to remove the lumps before whipping. Cream cheese can split if it is over whipped so this helps stop that.
- Whip again for only a minute or so until smooth and it is ready to go! Pipe, smear or do whatever you want to do to your loaf! This can also be put in to a sealed container and be kept in the fridge. It needs to be brought to room temperature for 20 minutes and then whipped briefly before using if you are doing so.
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