Carrot and Chai Masala Cake with Pistachio Cream Cheese Frosting

Serving carrot cake is a classic Easter move. But what if the classic got an Indian twist?

Carrot cake with an Indian twist

My version puts homemade chai masala in the cake batter, and the frosting turns an ever-so-slight pale green with the nutty addition of ground pistachios. Since carrots are in abundance right now, this Carrot and Chai Masala Cake with Pistachio Cream Cheese Frosting would be a great dessert to make anytime this spring.

Heirloom Carrots

I adore the heirloom carrots that come in various shades of orange, yellow, white and purple. They vary slightly in taste, but mostly they look pretty on a platter, especially in a simple roasted preparation with olive oil, salt and pepper, and some everyday spices. With their naturally sweet flavor, carrots are delicious in sweet and savory preparations.

In India, carrots are enjoyed in the form of carrot halwa, a spiced carrot pudding. There’s no baking involved: Grated carrots, sugar, whole milk, spices, ghee, nuts and raisins are slowly cooked in a pot on the stove. This irresistible dessert — one of my favorites — can be found at many Indian restaurants, but truly, homemade is the best.

How did Carrot Cake originate?

When carrots are in season, they’re innately super sweet, which helps cut down the sugar in the end product. That’s why carrot cake likely originated: Since sugar was a costly commodity in medieval times, it’s believed carrots were used to make puddings. Those custardy carrot puddings eventually evolved to baked carrot cakes.

Ingredients of this carrot cake

The ingredients of this carrot cake are:

• All purpose flour
• Baking powder and baking soda: Leavening agents to make the carrot cake fluffy and risen.
• Salt: Always to balance out the sweetness.
• Chai Masala: My homemade chai masala is truly one of my favorites, and I hope you try it too!
• Vegetable oil or neutral oil: Makes the cake super moist
• Greek yogurt: This adds tanginess and adds moistness to the cake
• Eggs: Bind the whole cake together
• Vanilla: All my baked goods always have a dash of vanilla. I use vanilla paste, but you can use vanilla extract
• Grated carrots
• Pistachios: Add a lovely bite to this cake

The classic carrot cake usually has spices like cinnamon or ginger. Chai masala is one of my favorite spice blends, made with freshly ground cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, fennel and ginger. (You might already have a jar in your pantry if you tried my Pumpkin Chai Latte recipe.)

These spices add a wonderful flavor and aroma to carrot cake. Along with a neutral oil, Greek yogurt and of course the freshly grated carrots, the cake turns out earthy, very spongy and melt-in-your-mouth moist. Raw pistachios balance out the spice.

What pan do I use for baking?

I bake this in an 8×8 cake pan, so it makes for 9 or 16 pieces depending upon how big or small you want them to be. The baking pan is available at Amazon.

Pistachio cream cheese frosting

The frosting is a classic cream cheese frosting that gets a nutty twist with ground pistachios. If you want to make sure the frosting gets a pretty, pale-green tinge, be sure to add bright green pistachios, usually available at a Middle Eastern store or online.

The best part is that the cake comes together within half a day.

How to add a fun decoration to the simple and easy carrot cake?

If you want to make this cake extra fun and visually interesting, you can decorate it with frosting that looks like heirloom carrots on top. Remove a bit of the cream cheese frosting, place some into two small bowls, dye them with orange and red food coloring, add them to separate Ziploc bags (no fancy pastry bags or tips are required) and pipe tiny carrots on the cake.

For a final touch, add a small rosemary sprig on the top of each carrot. Now it’s really perfect for your Easter table.

I have an eggless carrot cake sheet cake recipe for anyone who cannot eat eggs or has egg allergies as well. It is linked here.

Other fun recipes with carrots:

• Roasted Carrots, Cannellini Beans and Goat Cheese Dip
• Carrot Chutney

Have a wonderful Easter, and hope you all are enjoying the beautiful Spring weather.

XO
Amisha

Carrot and Chai Masala Cake with Pistachio Cream Cheese Frosting

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• Amisha Gurbani

Carrot and Chai Masala Cake with Pistachio Cream Cheese Frosting

This twist on a classic carrot cake features pistachios — in the cake and the frosting — and Indian spices. If you already have a chai masala blend, either store-bought or from another recipe, feel free to use it, though the balance of flavors may not taste exactly the same. This cake would be perfect for an Easter spread or other spring gathering.

Serves 9  to 16

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Scale 1x2x3x

Chai Masala

Makes about ¾ cup

• 6 cinnamon sticks
• 1½ tablespoons black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon cloves
• 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
• 3 tablespoons cardamom pods
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon ground ginger

Carrot and Chai Masala Cake

• 1⅓ (170 grams) cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons chai masala (see above or store-bought)
• ½ cup vegetable oil or other neutral oil
• 1 cup (213 grams) packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup (70 grams) Greek yogurt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1½ cups grated carrots, packed
• ½ cup finely chopped pistachios

Pistachio Cream Cheese Frosting

• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• 2 cups (230 grams) powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup pistachios, finely ground
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• Orange food gel coloring (optional)
• Red food gel coloring (optional)
• Rosemary sprigs (optional)

Get Recipe Ingredients

Make the Chai Masala

1. Grind all the spices except the ginger in a blender on high speed for 2 minutes. The mixture should form a fine powder.
2. Add the ground ginger and stir to combine. Transfer to an airtight glass jar and store in a cool place.

Make the Carrot and Chai Masala Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, add the all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and chai masala, and whisk to combine.
3. In a large bowl, add the oil and brown sugar, and whisk until well combined. Add the Greek yogurt, eggs and vanilla extract, and whisk until well combined.
4. Add the dry mixture to the oil mixture. Using a rubber spatula, mix until just combined.
5. Add the carrots and pistachios and mix with spatula until just combined.
6. Pour the batter into the baking pan. Level it with an offset spatula.
7. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, until a test skewer comes out clean.
8. Let the cake sit in the pan for 10 minutes.
9. Remove and rest the cake on a wire rack until completely cooled, about an hour.

Make the Pistachio Cream Cheese Frosting

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter, cream cheese and salt. Starting at slow, and gradually increasing the speed to medium, beat for 30 seconds to a minute until well combined.
2. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the powdered sugar, finely ground pistachios, vanilla extract and heavy cream. Mix until well incorporated.

Assemble

1. If you are making the decoration, remove about 4 tablespoons of the frosting and distribute it evenly into two bowls. (If not, move ahead to the next step.) Add orange food coloring to one bowl and red to the other. Mix with separate mini rubber spatulas to combine.  Put each colored frosting into a separate Ziploc bag, and seal the tops.
2.  
3. Using an offset spatula, gently spread the remaining frosting evenly on top of the cake, ensuring that it reaches the borders yet does not spill over, and looks even.
4. If you are decorating, cut a tiny tip off of the ends of the two plastic bags. Using light pressure, pipe long triangles to form carrots. Be creative here: You can pipe the carrots equidistant from each other, so there is one carrot on each slice, or you can form a pattern on the cake. Add tiny rosemary sprigs on top of the carrots.
5. Place the cake in the fridge for about an hour to set. Cut into 9 or 16 squares and serve.
6. Store cake in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days.

Notes

Frequently asked questions

How long can the chai masala be stored?

• The chai masala can be stored in the pantry for upto 6 months.

How quick is it to make this carrot cake?

• The carrot cake with the frosting and decoration can be made in half a day!

What pan do I use for baking?

• I bake this in an 8×8 cake pan, so it makes for 9 or 16 pieces depending upon how big or small you want them to be. The baking pan is available at Amazon.

Where can I find green pistachios for the cream cheese frosting?

• If you want to make sure the frosting gets a pretty, pale-green tinge, be sure to add bright green pistachios, usually available at a Middle Eastern store or online.