Carrot Chinese Five Spice Cake (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Kate Hackworthy · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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Chinese Five Spice cake. Chinese 5-Spice brings togetherall five flavors - sweet, sour, bitter, umamiand salty. The spice blend's star anise,Szechuan peppercorns, fennel, cassia, and clovesadd depth to this wholemeal carrot cake.

Carrot Chinese Five Spice Cake (1)

Chinese New Year

So this is the year of the fire monkey. What will it bring? What won't it bring?

We're in the midst of the Chinese New Year celebrations at the moment and as red envelopes of money are exchanged, fortune cookies opened and prosperity wished upon others, I thought I'd bake a cake.

No, perhaps not the most Chinese of desserts, but I've added the classic spice blend, Chinese Five Spice, to turn it into a cake that is at once unusual, yet an edible memory.

Normally paired with savoury meat dishes, this spice is actually quite versatile with so many flavours.

Try these other Chinese recipes for Chinese New Year!

Jackfruit Bao Buns
Asian Tofu with spicy garlic sauce
Vegan Crispy Duck (Cauliflower) and Pancakes

Carrot Chinese Five Spice Cake (2)

An unusual cake

Thefaint liquorice aromas from the star anise and fennel pair well with the nutty, treacly flavour ofthe wholemeal flour.

This allmarries well with the Szechuan peppercorns, fennel, cassia, and cloves of the spice blend, making a cake that excites all senses - from sweet to umami.

The carrot brings moisture and I've drastically reduced the sugar of the cake, since it was going to be covered in a tangy, rich orange buttercream.

Carrot cakes can be heavy with oil, so I've replaced half of the oil with yogurt to make it lighter.

Carrot Chinese Five Spice Cake (3)

Changes are afoot. There's an awakening that is gathering pace. Our broken food system is being analysed from all directions and the facts that once just were accepted are now being challenged.

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver are adding celebrity voice and massive power to the heightening debate about food waste.Wonky veg are returning to our fridges.

Food Assemblies and farm co-operatives are springing up everywhere. Food banks are at breaking point. Organic is the new normal.

I did Veganuary this year (going vegan for January) and I felt my own awakening when watching films like Forks Over Knives and Cowspiracy. Something is wrong. We put convenience and gluttony over the welfare of animals and ourselves.

But to me, wherever you stand on meat, dairy, eggs or vegetables, organic goods, carbs, palm oil or sugar it's important that we talk about it, and even more importantly, listen - whether you agree or not.

As Michael Pollan so perfectlystated:

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
“Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognise as food."

It feels like, collectively, we've hit the point where we can't blindly accept theproductson the shelves that are put before us. Change is in the wind and at last it is beginning to blow in the right direction.

Carrot Chinese Five Spice Cake (4)

More Carrot Desserts

I hope you'll love the unusual, but delicious, five-spice notes of this carrot cake. Be sure to also try these other tasty carrot dessert recipes.

Orange Carrot Cupcakes
Vegan Carrot Cake
Carrot Cake with Maple Topping
Carrot Peeling Cake

Carrot Chinese Five Spice Cake (5)

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Plus, you'll get a free eBook: 15 Minute Vegan Dinners!

Carrot Chinese Five Spice Cake (6)

Check out the Veggie Desserts + Cakes cookbook on Amazon

📖 Recipe

Carrot Chinese Five Spice Cake (7)

Carrot Chinese Five Spice Cake

Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts

Chinese Five Spice cake is a carrot cake with warming spices.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Chinese

Servings 12

Calories 320 kcal

Equipment

  • mixing bowl

  • 9” round cake pan

  • Oven

Ingredients

  • 2 medium carrots grated
  • 2 ¼ cups (250g) wholemeal flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Chinese Five-Spice mix
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs [vegan: 3 tablespoons flax eggs mixed with 9 tablespoons of water and let sit for 5 minutes]
  • ¾ cup (145g) sugar
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 cup (120g) plain Greek yogurt [vegan: use dairy free yogurt]
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Orange Icing

  • 1 ¼ cups (250g) powdered icing sugar
  • 4 tablespoons butter softened [vegan: use vegan butter]
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease a 9” round cake and line the bottom with baking parchment.

  • Peel and grate the raw carrot. Set aside.

  • Sift the flour, bicarb of soda, baking powder, Chinese five spice blend and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the carrot.

  • In a separate bowl, beat the eggs (or flax eggs), sugar, oil, yogurt and vanilla together with an electric mixer.

  • Fold the wet ingredients into the dry gently.

  • Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

  • Leave to cool in the tin.

For the Orange Icing:

  • Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the other ingredients and mix until smooth.

  • Store in the fridge until ready to use. Frost the completely cooled cake.

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 209mgPotassium: 234mgFiber: 3gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 1900IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 1mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts! I love seeing your recreations.

Carrot Chinese Five Spice Cake (2024)

FAQs

Can you use Chinese 5 spices in baking? ›

Chinese five spice toes the line between many flavors, and you can certainly lean into the sweeter ones. Try this blend for favorite baking recipes like apple pie, snickerdoodle cookies, or cinnamon rolls. A sprinkle of five spice also makes fruit taste sweeter.

What's the difference between carrot cake and spice cake? ›

What's the difference between spice cake and carrot cake? Carrot cake and spice cake both have a lot of similar spices (warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, or nutmeg). However, carrot cake also has shredded carrots, while this version of spice cake has a boiled raisin mixture.

Does carrot cake count as one of your five a day? ›

NHS guidelines state that three heaped tablespoons of cooked carrots counts as a portion, which is about 60g. This suggests that a whole cake contains more than eight portions of carrots, so a largish slice ought to count as one of your five-a-day.

Why did my carrots turn green in carrot cake? ›

Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking, explains that carrots turn green when the batter “contains too much baking soda, or when the soda isn't evenly mixed in the batter.” Carrots contain pigments that are sensitive to changes in pH balance.

How much Chinese 5 spice to use? ›

Although it's not spicy-hot, it is rather intense. “Less is more” is a good rule of thumb to use when cooking with it. With that in mind, feel free to experiment. It's such an easy way to add complex flavor to a dish, it's almost like cheating!

Is there a difference between 5 Spice and Chinese 5 Spice? ›

In the culinary arts, five spice (also known as Chinese five spice) is a blend of ground spices used in Chinese and Vietnamese cooking.

Why is carrot cake so moist? ›

How do you add moisture to carrot cake? A bit of oil makes the texture very soft and in turn gives the perception of "moistness". That's because oil is made up of mostly unsaturated fats that are liquid at room temperature.

Why not use butter in carrot cake? ›

The two simple ingredients that makes this cake amazing are the oil and Greek yogurt. I love using oil in cakes because not only does it make your cake moist, but it also STAYS moist for much longer than if you used butter. That's because oil is 100% fat where butter is around 80%.

Why is Chinese carrot cake called carrot cake? ›

The answer is simple: In China's Hokkien dialect, chai tow means “radish” or “carrot,” while kway means “pastry” or “rice cake.” The dish likely originated in Southern China and was brought to Singapore by Teochew immigrants in the late 19th century.

What happens if I eat 5 carrots a day? ›

Is it okay to eat carrots every day? Eating carrots in moderation is good for your health. Eating carrots in excess, however, can cause a condition called carotenemia. This refers to yellowish discoloration of the skin because of the deposition of a substance called beta-carotene that is present in carrots.

How much fruit should I eat a day to lose weight? ›

If you're trying to lose weight, Shapiro recommends having no more than two servings of fruit a day, or three if you're active. One serving can either be a whole fruit that fits in your hand, like an apple or plum, or one cup of cut fruit, like a bowl of strawberries or raspberries.

Why does my carrot cake taste like baking soda? ›

If you purposely or accidentally used baking soda instead of baking powder without making any changes to your recipe, you'll definitely end up with a bitter taste. Remember, baking soda is an alkaline, or base, ingredient that naturally has a bitter taste.

Should carrot cake have raisins? ›

"Raisins are controversial in a carrot cake," says Saffitz. Whether or not you add them is up to your tolerance for the chewy little nuggets—same goes for chopped walnuts (just be sure to toast them first for better flavor).

How do you keep carrot cake moist after baking? ›

Oil: The secret to keeping our carrot cake so deliciously moist. I've used avocado oil, safflower oil, and vegetable oil with great results. Melted coconut oil works, too, but the baked cake will have a light coconut flavor.

What does Chinese 5 Spice do? ›

Chinese five-spice powder is a seasoning blend of spices, and is often used in Chinese cuisine for flavouring poultry, roasted meats and fish.

Can I use Chinese 5 spice instead of allspice? ›

The warm, spicy-sweet flavor of allspice is very similar to that of five-spice powder, a blend of cinnamon, star anise, fennel, cloves, and ginger or pepper. Use equal parts of five-spice powder in place of the ground allspice called for in a recipe—it's great for both savory and sweet applications.

Is all purpose seasoning the same as Chinese 5 Spice? ›

Five spice is a mix of fennel, clove, anise, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorn (some Chinese add several other spices, considering “five spice” more of a concept than a hard rule). Allspice is ground up pimento berry… while it reminds of several other spices it's actually just a single spice.

Is Chinese 5 Spice same as 7 spice? ›

To start with, Chinese five spice is Chinese in origin. Seven spice powder is Japanese, and also called shichimi togarashi. Unlike Five Spice, Seven spice's foundation is comprised of chilis, dried orange peel, sesame seed, dried ginger, and seaweed, as well as Sichuan peppercorns.

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