Moroccan Spiced Carrot Cake with Ras El Hanout

If you’ve been following me closely, you might notice my special fascination with Moroccan food. I want to share with you all one of the reasons for my obsession before I jump into this Moroccan Spiced Carrot cake recipe. Like I said in my previous post, I really enjoy Moroccan food, so I just had to supplement this spiced carrot cake with something from one of my sentimental favorites. So, short story, one of my favorite shows to watch is Andrew Zimmern’s Bizzare Foods, and my favorite episode was when he visited Morocco. Ever since the day I saw that episode, I always wanted to visit Morocco. I have not gotten the chance to yet, but I have certainly started to explore the beautiful culture and food already. My husband had a private floor of a Moroccan beautifully decorated restaurant set up to propose to me… so when I say that I love Moroccan food, it is quite sentimental to me.

Now unto this recipe: I was playing around with some of my spices, and then I decided to experiment with Ras El Hanout, a popular Moroccan mixed spice, and make something that goes with sweet recipes. This was the first recipe I tested it with, and I must say it turned out delicious. Try it out and let me know if this is not the best spiced carrot cake you have tried. I am a big fan of carrot cake in general, but this Moroccan spiced carrot cake really stood out to me. I am not even sure I know how to describe the flavors. It definitely blows the regular old pumpkin-spice-tasting mixed spice out of the water.  Enjoy my recipe!

Moroccan Spiced Carrot Cake Recipe

Ingredients

How to Make Make Moroccan Spiced Carrot Cake

Print Recipe

Moroccan Spiced Carrot Cake with Ras El Hanout Recipe

Try out this amazing Moroccan spiced carrot cake recipe with Ras El Hanout and I dare you to tell me if this is not the best spiced carrot cake you have had!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: African, American, Moroccan

Servings: 10

Calories: 889kcal

Ingredients

• 365 g all purpose flour
• 370 g finely grated carrots about 3 cups
• 220 g sugar
• 127 g/ 1/2 cup yogurt
• 127 g/ 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1/3 cup unflavored oil I used sunflower oil
• 2 tbsp almond milk you may substitute with regular milk or any other plant milk
• 1 1/2 tsp sweet Ras El Hanout recipe in previous post
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• For the Frosting: 8oz/ 226g one block of cream cheese
• 8 oz/ 226g/ 1 cup 2 sticks of unsalted butter
• 7 cups of powdered sugar
• The zest from 1/2 an orange
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 340 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour two 8-inch-wide and 3-inch-deep cake pans and set aside.
• In a clean bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, Ras El Hanout, baking powder and baking soda.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, yogurt, apple sauce, oil, almond milk, and vanilla extract.
• Mix together the wet and dry ingredients until it is just combined, be sure to not over mix.
• Fold in the grated carrots until it is properly distributed in the cake.
• Divide the cake batter between the two prepped pans.
• Bake in the pre-heated oven and for 45-50 minutes. The cake should be just mildly springy in the middle once it is completely done.
• Cool the cake on a cooling rack, and prep the cream cheese frosting
• To make the cream cheese frosting, simply beat the cream cheese and butter (preferably with an electric mixer), until it is homogeneous.
• Gradually beat in the powdered sugar on low speed, adding it in one cup at a time.
• Beat in the vanilla, salt and orange zest. The frosting should be smooth and spreadable.
• Simply assemble the cake as neatly or as rustic as you wish, and top with the coconut flakes

Notes

Make sure all your ingredients are room temperature, especially the butter and cream cheese for the frosting