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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Italian Orange and Carrot Cake

    Published: Oct 4, 2020 · Modified: Jan 18, 2023 by Neriz · This post contains some affiliate links.

    • 2
    Jump to Recipe

    You don’t need to buy a cake mix to prepare a moist carrot cake.  This Italian Orange & Carrot Cake recipe will show how easy it is to make it from scratch! Also called ‘Ciambella Arance e Carote‘ — one slice of this flavorsome treat will not be enough!

    An overhead shot of a carrot cake with powdered sugar on the side for dusting, and a glass of red wine.

    Besides the Italian Apple Cake (Torta di Mele), this moist carrot cake is a regular in our house.

    You get a bit of fruit and vegetable in every bite, and in a typical Italian way, this orange carrot cake recipe does NOT contain butter — it uses olive oil instead.

    Delicious?  Soft?  Moist?  Yep, check all those boxes, and add that it’s all from scratch.

    It’s perfect for afternoon snacks and dessert — even light enough for breakfast!

    IF YOU WANT MORE CLASSIC ITALIAN RECIPES, YOU WILL LIKE THESE POSTS!

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    Ingredients

    An image showing all the ingredients you need to make a moist carrot cake from scratch.
    • Olive oil – I suggest using mild or fruity-flavored extra virgin olive oil; skip the robust or strong-flavored ones, as it might overwhelm the orange and carrot flavors of the cake.
    • Carrots – it does not matter if you’re using small or large carrots; just make sure you peel, rinse, and chop them in identical sizes if they’re too big for the blender.
    • Orange – you only need to use the orange peel (zest) for this Italian carrot cake recipe.
    • Eggs – medium-sized ones (63 to 73 grams per piece) and at room temperature.
    • Flour – you only need all-purpose flour for this carrot orange cake recipe.
    • Sugar – no problem using regular, granulated white sugar.
    • Baking powder, salt & nutmeg – just use your favorite brand for these baking staples.
    A closer shot of the side of a carrot cake, highlighting the golden color of the top, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

    Preparation

    Start making Italian carrot orange cake by preheating your oven to 180°C (350°F).

    Grease your ciambella or cake pan with olive oil or butter and dust some flour on it as well.

    Sift and mix flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

    Straining the dry ingredients for Italian orange and carrot cake.

    Combine the chopped carrots and olive oil in a stand blender.

    Pureeing the carrots with olive oil, as a base for orange and carrot cake.

    Pulse and mix until you get a smooth puree.

    Mix the eggs and sugar in a medium to large mixing bowl.

    Combining sugar with eggs for making Italian orange carrot cake.

    Mix until creamy.

    Add the orange zest and pureed carrots with olive oil.

    Mixing the pureed carrots with the eggs and sugar for carrot orange cake.

    Mix and combine evenly. 

    Add the sifted dry ingredients and continue mixing until just combined.

    Combining all the ingredients for a moist orange carrot cake with olive oil.

    Pour the cake batter into your prepared cake pan.

    Use a rubber spatula to even the top (if needed).

    Pouring the carrot orange cake batter into a pan, ready for baking.

    Tap your pan on the countertop to lessen air bubbles.

    Place the cake pan in the oven for forty to forty-five minutes or until the top has turned golden.

    Set aside to cool down a bit.

    Slice and serve your Italian orange and carrot cake with a dusting of powdered sugar, if desired — enjoy!

    An overhead shot of a carrot cake, still on its mould, ready to be removed, for serving.

    Helpful tips

    • Do not skip the greasing and dusting of flour for your cake pan, especially if using a ciambella pan.  

    Trust me; it makes a huge difference when you remove the carrot orange cake for serving.

    • Use zest from two medium-sized oranges if you cannot find a large one.  
    • Mild, fruity-flavored olive oil is best for this recipe. Avoid the robust, bold ones — they will overpower the flavor of the carrots and oranges.
    • Use no more than 1 & 1/3 cups of the carrot and olive oil mixture. If you use more, the carrot orange cake will be bit wet and dense.
    A closer shot to a slice of carrot cake, showing the moistness of the cake, with a slice of dried orange on the table and glass of red wine on the background.

    FAQ

    How do you make a carrot cake moist?

    The creamy blend of carrots and olive oil provides the cake with more moisture than just grating the carrots and adding the oil separately.
     
    However, you have to ensure you only add a little. 
     
    You need to add no more than 1 & 1/3 cups of the carrot mixture to the cake batter for this recipe.  So, please keep that in mind. 🙂

    So how about it?  Give this Italian orange and carrot cake recipe a try this weekend!

    NOTE:  Lastly, this recipe was initially published in August 2018. Photos are now updated, a video has been added, and the recipe has been edited to provide clearer instructions.

    OR YOU CAN LOOK FOR IDEAS IN THIS LIST OF CAKES FROM AROUND THE WORLD!

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    Latest feature image for Italian orange and carrot cake, Jan23.

    Italian Orange and Carrot Cake Recipe

    You don't need to buy a cake mix to prepare a moist carrot cake.  This Italian Orange & Carrot Cake recipe will show you how easy it is to make it from scratch! Also called 'Ciambella Arancia e Carote' — one slice of this flavorsome treat will not be enough!
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 218kcal
    Author: Neriz

    Equipment

    • Ciambella Pan
    • 8-inch Cake Pan
    • Mixing Bowls
    • Pyrex Measuring Cups
    • Strainer for Sifting
    • Blender (Stand Mixer)
    • Hand Mixer
    • Rubber Spatula

    Ingredients

    • 3 medium carrots (about 279 grams), peeled, roughly chopped
    • 3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
    • 3 large eggs, room temperature
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1 large orange, grated zest
    • 1 & 1/2 cups flour
    • 3 tsp baking powder
    • pinch salt
    • pinch nutmeg
    • powdered sugar, optional

    Instructions

    Prepare the Equipment:

    • Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
    • Grease your pan with butter or olive oil, and dust it with some flour.

    Prepare the Cake Batter:

    • Using a medium-sized bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
    • Combine carrots and olive oil in a blender.  Pulse/blend until you get a bit of a creamy texture.
    • In a large bowl, mix eggs and sugar until creamy.
    • Add the blended carrots and oil mixture. Add the orange zest and continue mixing.
    • Add sifted dry ingredients and mix to combine evenly.

    Baking Italian Carrot Cake:

    • Pour batter into greased and floured cake pan.
    • Place pan in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top has turned into a golden color.
    • Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
    • Take the Italian orange and carrot cake from the pan.
    • Sprinkle with powdered sugar and decorate with dried orange slices (if desired).
    • Slice and serve.

    Notes

    • Cook’s Tip #1: Make sure you grease your cake pan and dust it with some flour (or breadcrumbs). It helps in removing the cake before serving.
    • Cook’s Tip #2: Go with the mild, fruity flavored olive oil when making this orange cake recipe. The robust, bold ones will overpower the delicate flavor of the cake.
    • Cook’s Tip #3: Do not forget to check that you are using no more than 1 & 1/3 cups of the carrot and olive oil mixture.  If you use more, the orange carrot cake will be slightly wet instead of perfectly moist.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 218kcal
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @foodandjourneys or tag #foodandjourneys!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Celina

      September 29, 2020 at 7:24 pm

      Hi 🙂

      Absolutely amazing and mouthwatering pictures!! 🙂
      I noticed that there’s no recipe?! Could it be possible to get it? It looks so fantastic that I’d love to try it 🙂
      Thanks for stunning blog 🙂

      Reply
      • Neriz

        October 04, 2020 at 4:06 pm

        Hi Celina,

        Apologies, I think I might have accidentally deleted the recipe card when I was drafting the updates for the recipe. At any rate, updates now finished. Admittedly, there were some changes to the recipe, but trust me, this recipe is even better than the last one.

        I hope you like it. 🙂

        Reply

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