Spelt Carrot Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

This simple, one-layer spelt carrot cake has a delightful lemon cream cheese frosting and makes a wonderful Easter cake. Top it with your favourite Easter treats for a festive touch. That said, while it makes a beautiful centre piece for your Easter table, this cake is delicious enough to be enjoyed all year round.

A Classic Spelt Carrot Cake Recipe

This recipe for spelt carrot cake first appeared on The Culinary Jumble in March 2017. Since then, it has remained one of my go-to bakes whenever I want something simple yet utterly delicious.

I love carrot cake, but oddly enough, this is the first time I’ve shared one on the blog. In fact, it had been years since I last made one! This was mainly due to my kids being sceptical about the idea of vegetables in cake, especially carrots. And let’s not forget the cream cheese frosting, which has always been a hard sell for them. I know. Who are these kids?

The Inspiration Behind This Recipe

The original recipe came from a supermarket leaflet years ago, though I have no recollection of which shop. That said, it follows a classic carrot cake formula with no fancy twists or unexpected additions. It’s just a beautifully simple, well-balanced cake that lets the flavours shine.

This spelt carrot cake is one I’ve made countless times. It was my eldest son’s first birthday cake: a towering three-layer version that felt extra special at the time. The one I’m sharing today is a more modest affair: a small (18cm/7-inch) single-layer cake, but still packed with the same amazing flavour and texture.

The cake is wonderfully moist and soft, with just the right amount of warm spice. The combination of cinnamon and nutmeg gives it a lovely depth of flavour that perfectly complements the natural sweetness of the carrots.

Lemon and Cream Cheese Frosting

The frosting is what takes this cake to the next level. Made with cream cheese, butter, fresh lemon juice, and vanilla, it has a light, tangy flavour that pairs beautifully with the spiced cake. The lemon adds a fresh, slightly zesty contrast to the richness of the frosting, making it both indulgent and refreshing. The creamy texture melts in your mouth and balances the soft crumb of the cake perfectly.

Adding an Easter Touch

For a festive Easter touch, I drizzled a little pink frosting over the top and nestled a few candy eggs on it. However, you can decorate it however you like. Simple and elegant with just the frosting, or dressed up for any special occasion. And let’s be honest: carrot cake isn’t just for Easter. It’s the kind of bake that works just as well as a cosy autumn treat or a springtime dessert, making it a year-round favourite.

More Easter Recipes

If you’re here, it’s likely that you are on the (Easter egg) hunt for spring favourites. Here are some of my best Easter recipes:

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Spelt Carrot Cake with a Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Course Cake

Cuisine British

Servings 8 slices

Ingredients

Cake:

125ml (½ cup) vegetable oil
160g (¾ cup) sugar
100g (3½ oz) grated carrots
2 eggs (medium)
120g (1 cup) spelt flour (see note 1)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Frosting:

55g (2 oz) cream cheese
55g (2 oz) butter
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
100-200g (1-1½ cups) icing/confectioners'/powdered sugar

Pink Drizzle:

Around 50g (¾ cup) icing sugar
a couple of drops of food colouring (see note 2)
water (added a little at a time)

Instructions

Cake:

Pre-heat oven to 190°C (375°F) and grease/line a small springform tin (mine is 7" / 18cm).
Beat the oil and sugar together until light and airy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.
Stir in the grated carrots until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until evenly distributed.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake in the lower part of the oven for 35-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before removing the sides of the tin. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting:

Beat the cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, and vanilla together until fluffy.
Add just enough icing sugar to achieve a thick, spreadable consistency.
Spread the frosting over the cake. I went for a "semi-naked" look (if you can call it that with just one layer).
If adding a drizzle, chill the cake in the fridge for about 15 minutes before doing so.

Drizzle:

Mix the icing sugar and food colouring (see note 2).
Gradually add water, a little at a time, until a drizzle consistency is reached.
Drizzle over the cake and decorate however you like. Enjoy!

Notes

I have converted grams to cups/ounces/tablespoons using online converters. Although I have no reason to believe they are inaccurate, please be aware that I have not made this recipe with imperial measurements.

You can use spelt or regular flour for this recipe (just use the same amount). Read my post for more information about using spelt flour in cakes.
For this recipe, I did use food colouring, but prefer to use berry juice with some icing sugar to make a drizzle. You could use either.