Carrot and orange cake with cornmeal

04/04/2026

Today’s recipe comes straight from across the Channel but brings with it all the flavor of Italian tradition. With our Cesarina Sonia in London, we prepare an easy and quick cake that marks the transition from winter to spring and lets us serve a light and wonderfully fragrant dessert: carrot and orange cake.

“One of my favorite spring cakes. Great for breakfast, a snack or dessert.”

Sonia’s recipe is special because, in addition to regular flour, it includes cornmeal: this gives the cake a distinctive deep yellow color, dotted here and there with the orange of citrus zest. A true feast for the eyes!

But let’s not wait any longer and get started. Making this cake is very easy: anyone who can press the on-off button of a mixer can make it!

Carrot and orange cake with cornmeal

Easy to make, a perfect cake for a sweet break or dessert

DifficultyEasy

Preparation time20m

Cooking time35m

Servings7

€

CostLow

Ingredients

125 ml extra virgin olive oil
200 g sugar
2 eggs
190 g flour
200 g finely ground cornmeal
1 packet baking powder
3 carrots
Grated zest of 2 oranges
120 ml Marsala (or vermouth)
A pinch of salt
A pinch of nutmeg
Icing sugar for decoration

Method

In a large stand mixer, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, orange zest and Marsala until well combined.
In another bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, mixing well with a whisk to avoid lumps.
Using a spatula, add and fold in the grated carrots.
Preheat the oven to 190°C, grease a cake tin of about 22 cm in diameter.
Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for about 35 minutes (use a skewer to check doneness).
Let it cool before dusting with icing sugar.