This Caramel Upside-Down Carrot Cake is my slightly over the top take on a classic carrot cake. Instead of hiding all of the carrots inside the cake, thin heirloom carrots are layered across the base of the tin with brown sugar caramel before the whole thing is flipped upside down after baking.
Carrot cake was one of my favourite cakes growing up, and it's still one of those cakes I can never go past when I see it in a café cabinet. So naturally, I wanted to make a slightly ridiculous version of it.
Instead of keeping all of the carrot hidden inside the cake, I wanted the carrots to become the feature. Thin heirloom carrots are layered into the bottom of the cake tin with caramel before the carrot cake batter goes on top. Once baked, the cake is flipped over to reveal the glossy caramelised carrots.
I still wanted that classic carrot cake and cream cheese combination, so rather than frosting the cake, I serve it with whipped cream cheese and plenty of salted caramel.
Looking for other yummy desserts? You'll love my Mint Slice Ice Cream Sandwiches or my Spiced Pistachio Upside Down Cake.
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Why you'll love this Caramel Upside-Down Carrot Cake
It's a showstopper without complicated decorating. The caramelised heirloom carrots do all the work for you once the cake is flipped.
It's incredibly moist. Olive oil, golden syrup and plenty of grated carrot give the cake a soft, moist crumb.
It still tastes like classic carrot cake. Cinnamon, walnuts, carrot and cream cheese keep all those familiar flavours, despite the slightly unusual presentation.
You can make most of it ahead. The cake, whipped cream cheese and salted caramel can all be prepared in advance.
Ingredients
- Heirloom carrots: These create the upside-down topping. Choose relatively thin carrots where possible and pack them into the tin much more tightly than you think you need to — they shrink significantly during baking.
- Carrots: Regular grated carrot goes into the cake itself for moisture and classic carrot cake flavour.
- Olive oil: Keeps the cake beautifully soft and moist without needing to cream butter and sugar.
- Golden syrup: Adds sweetness and a deeper caramel flavour to the cake.
- Brown sugar: Used in both the cake and the caramel topping for a richer flavour.
- Walnuts: Add texture and that classic carrot-and-walnut combination.
- Cinnamon: Adds warmth without making the cake overly spiced.
- Cream cheese: The base of the whipped cream cheese served alongside the cake.
- Thickened cream: Whipped into the cream cheese to make it light and spoonable, and also used to make the salted caramel.
- Caster sugar: Used as the base of the salted caramel.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
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- Step 1: Trim and peel the heirloom carrots, then halve them lengthways. Arrange them cut-side down across the base of a lined 22 cm cake tin. Pack them in very tightly, overlapping them to create roughly two layers. The carrots shrink considerably as they bake, so what looks like too many raw carrots will be just right once cooked.
- Step 2: Melt the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan until bubbling and caramelised.
- Step 3: Pour the caramel evenly over the arranged heirloom carrots.
- Step 4: Mix together the carrot cake batter and spoon the batter over the carrots and gently spread it into an even layer before baking. Don't tap the tin to flatten, this removes air from the cake which we want to keep.
5. Step 5: Allow the cake to cool slightly before carefully flipping it onto a serving plate to reveal the caramelised heirloom carrots.
6. Step 6: Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add the remaining ingredients and whip until light and creamy.
7. Step 7: Prepare the salted caramel, cooking until smooth, glossy and deeply caramelised.
8. Step 8: Serve slices of the cake with a generous spoonful of whipped cream cheese and warm salted caramel.
Helpful tips
Use more heirloom carrots than you think you need. They shrink considerably in the oven. I recommend overlapping them into roughly two layers so the finished cake has a generous carrot topping without large gaps.
Don't pre-cook the carrots. Add them to the cake tin raw. They'll soften and caramelise while the cake bakes while still retaining their shape.
Flip the cake while it's still warm. Give it 5–8 minutes to settle after baking, but don't allow it to cool completely in the tin or the caramel can begin to set.
Substitutions
Walnuts: Pecans can be used instead of walnuts.
Olive oil: You can substitute a neutral vegetable oil, although I prefer the flavour of olive oil in this cake.
Heirloom carrots: Thin regular carrots or dutch carrots can be used if you can't find heirloom carrots.
Cream cheese: Use full-fat block cream cheese for the best texture when making the whipped cream cheese.
Equipment
use my Smeg stand mixer to make the whipped cream cheese light and fluffy, but an electric hand mixer will also work.
Storage
Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Keep the whipped cream cheese refrigerated separately in an airtight container.
The salted caramel can also be kept separately in the fridge and gently reheated before serving.
For the best texture, bring refrigerated cake back towards room temperature before serving.
FAQ
Do I need to cook the heirloom carrots first?
No. The heirloom carrots go into the cake tin raw and soften as the cake bakes.
Why did my heirloom carrots shrink?
This is completely normal. The carrots lose moisture while they cook and become significantly smaller, which is why it's important to pack them tightly into the cake tin.
When should I flip the cake?
Let it rest for around 5–8 minutes after it comes out of the oven, then flip it while it's still warm. Waiting too long can allow the caramel to set and make the topping more likely to stick.
Can I make this cake ahead?
Yes. The cake can be baked a day before serving. Store the whipped cream cheese and salted caramel separately and assemble when you're ready to serve.
Can I make the salted caramel ahead?
Yes. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge and gently warm it before serving until it's pourable again.
Does the cake need to be refrigerated?
The cake itself can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. Once served with whipped cream cheese, leftovers should be refrigerated.
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WATCH HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:
Caramel Upside-Down Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Caramel carrot topping
- 10 - 12 heirloom carrots a few of yellow, purple and orange
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 60 g brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt cooking salt
Carrot cake
- 150 g self-raising flour
- 75 g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 80 g brown sugar
- 185 ml olive oil
- 125 ml golden syrup
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 300 g carrots peeled and finely grated
- 80 g walnuts roughly chopped
Whipped cream cheese
- 250 g cream cheese softened
- 250 ml thickened cream
- 60 g icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt cooking salt
Salted caramel sauce
- 150 g caster sugar
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 150 ml thickened cream
- ½ teaspoon salt cooking salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 165°C fan-forced. Grease and line the base and sides of a 22cm round cake tin with baking paper.
- Trim the heirloom carrots and halve them lengthways. If any are particularly thick, quarter them lengthways. You want relatively thin pieces so they soften properly while the cake bakes. Anything thicker than 1.5cm is too much. Arrange them in the lined baking tin with the flat part of the sliced carrot facing the tin. The carrots shrink a fair bit in the oven so you want them quite crowded in the tin, about a layer and half of carrots.
- Add the butter and brown sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the butter has melted and the mixture is bubbling. Add the cinnamon and a pinch of salt, then cook for around 2 minutes until glossy and slightly thickened. If the caramel is splitting, add 1 tablespoon of warm water and whisk briefly to emulsify again.
- Pour the caramel over the carrots as evenly as possible. Don't worry if they aren't completely covered, the caramel with spread a lot when baking.
- To make the cake batter, add the self-raising flour, plain flour, bicarbonate soda, cinnamon and salt to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, olive oil, golden syrup, eggs and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold together until just combined.
- Fold through the grated carrot and chopped walnuts, taking care not to overmix.
- Carefully spoon the cake batter over the arranged carrots, then gently spread it into an even layer without disturbing them.
- Bake for 50 - 65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Leave the cake in the tin for 5–8 minutes. Run a knife around the edge if needed, then place a serving plate over the tin and carefully invert the cake while it's still warm. Gently peel away the baking paper.
- Leave the cake to cool while you prepare the whipped cream cheese and caramel sauce.
- For the whipped cream cheese, beat the softened cream cheese until completely smooth. Add the icing sugar (sift it if clumpy), vanilla and salt and beat again until combined. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the thickened cream, then increase the speed and whip until thick, smooth and fluffy. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
- For the salted caramel sauce, add the caster sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until melted and light amber in colour. Add the butter and whisk until combined.
- Carefully pour in the thickened cream, it will bubble vigorously and whisk until you have a smooth caramel sauce. Add a pinch of salt, then remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
- Serve slices of the carrot cake with a generous spoonful of whipped cream cheese and warm salted caramel sauce poured over the top.
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