Recipes and Cooking Easy Orange-Carrot Cake 4.2 (11) A citrusy sour cream frosting is the literal icing on this moist orange-carrot cake recipe. Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger infuse each bite of this orange cake recipe with warm flavors. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on April 1, 2011 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: David Loftus Prep Time: 30 mins Bake Time: 50 mins Cool Time: 10 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins Servings: 16 Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients ¾ cup vegetable oil, plus a little more for greasing pan 1 ¾ cup light brown sugar 4 large eggs (preferably free-range or organic) Grated zest and juice of 1 orange (approximately 1 tsp. zest and 1/3 cup juice) 2 cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon sea salt ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, heaped Pinch of ground cloves ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ teaspoon ground ginger 10 ounce carrots, peeled and coarsely grated 2 cup low-fat sour cream 2 - 3 tablespoon powdered (icing) sugar 2 oranges Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square or 10-inch round cake pan with a little vegetable oil. Line the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment or waxed paper, cut to fit. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to mix the oil and sugar. Beat in the eggs, orange zest, and juice. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the chopped walnuts, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and grated carrot. Mix just until combined (don't overmix, because this will affect how the cake rises). Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake 50 minutes, or until golden. Check doneness by poking a skewer or toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is cooked; if it's still slightly sticky, put it back in the oven for a few more minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn it out onto a rack to cool completely before icing. For the icing, place the sour cream in a mixing bowl. Sift in the powdered sugar and grate in the zest of one orange. Halve the orange and squeeze in the juice from one half. Whisk everything together until glossy. It will be a fairly loose consistency. Spread thinly over the top of the cake. Grate a little more orange zest on top of the cake. Slice the remaining orange and serve on the side. Makes 16 servings. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 341 Calories 16g Fat 45g Carbs 5g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 16 Calories 341 % Daily Value * Total Fat 16g 21% Saturated Fat 2g 10% Cholesterol 63mg 21% Sodium 180mg 8% Total Carbohydrate 45g 16% Total Sugars 29g Protein 5g Vitamin C 12.4mg 62% Calcium 171.6mg 13% Iron 1.4mg 8% Potassium 244mg 5% Folate, total 52.4mcg Vitamin B-12 0.3mcg Vitamin B-6 0.1mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.