Martha Stewart Carrot Ginger Cake Recipe

Martha Stewart’s carrot ginger cake is a layer cake with fresh grated ginger in the batter and orange zest in the cream cheese frosting, which makes it taste completely different from a regular carrot cake. The layers bake at 375°F for about an hour, and the whole thing gets topped with candied carrot strips that look like ribbons.

The orange in the frosting is the part that catches people off guard. Most carrot cake frostings are just cream cheese and sugar, but Martha adds fresh orange zest here and it turns the frosting into something you actually notice instead of something that just holds the layers together.

Try More Carrot Cake Recipes:

• Carrot Cake
• Hummingbird Cake
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes

What Makes This Different From Regular Carrot Cake?

Three things. Fresh grated ginger instead of just dried spices, orange zest in the frosting instead of plain cream cheese, and melted butter instead of oil. The ginger adds a sharpness that cuts through the sugar, and the orange makes the frosting taste bright instead of heavy.

Martha also bakes this at 375°F, which is hotter than most carrot cakes. The higher heat gives the outside a slightly deeper color while the inside stays moist from the buttermilk and three sticks of melted butter.

Carrot Ginger Cake Ingredients

The fresh ginger is not optional here. Dried ground ginger would not give the same bite. Martha calls for a full tablespoon of freshly grated ginger, which is more than most recipes use.

For the cake:

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 2 1/2 cups shredded carrots
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the orange cream cheese frosting:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 blocks (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Candied carrot strips, for decorating

How To Make Martha Stewart Carrot Ginger Cake

1. Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
2. Toast the pecans: Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast at 300°F until fragrant. Let cool, then chop.
3. Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the shredded carrots, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, sugar, and freshly grated ginger.
4. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
5. Combine: Fold the dry ingredients into the carrot mixture until just combined. Stir in the melted butter and chopped pecans.
6. Bake: Divide the batter between the pans and bake at 375°F until a tester comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool completely.
7. Make the frosting: Beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat in the orange zest and salt.
8. Assemble: Place one layer on a platter, spread frosting over the top, then stack the second layer. Frost the top and sides. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.
9. Decorate: Arrange candied carrot strips on top of the chilled cake. Slice and serve.

Does Fresh Ginger Change The Texture?

Not the texture, but it changes everything else. Fresh ginger has a sharpness that dried ginger does not, almost a little heat in the back of your throat. In a cake this sweet, that bite is what keeps it from feeling one-note.

Grate it on a microplane so the pieces are fine enough to disappear into the batter. Larger chunks would create hot spots in the cake where you get a sudden burst of ginger, which is not what you want.

Why Does This Bake At 375 Instead Of 350?

Most carrot cakes bake at 350°F but Martha runs this one at 375°F. The higher heat sets the outside faster, which gives the crust a slightly caramelized edge while the buttermilk and butter keep the center soft.

Watch it closely after 50 minutes. Every oven is different and this cake can go from golden to too dark fast at the higher temperature. A tester should come out clean but the crumb should still feel moist when you touch the top.

What Goes Next To This On The Table

The orange frosting makes this feel more like a spring or fall dessert than a holiday cake. A pot of strong coffee or a glass of sparkling wine is honestly all it needs on the side.

If this is part of a bigger meal, keep the dinner sides simple. Green beans or a potato salad before the main, and let this cake close everything out. A few deviled eggs as a starter keep the whole spread light enough that people still have room for a slice.

How Long Can You Keep This Cake?

Martha says to refrigerate the assembled cake for 3 to 4 hours before serving, and it holds well in the fridge for up to three days after that. The frosting firms up nicely and the layers actually taste better once they have had time to settle.

The candied carrot strips on top can soften after a day in the fridge, so if you care about presentation, add them right before serving. The cake underneath stays the same either way.

FAQs

• Can I use dried ginger instead of fresh? You can, but the flavor will be flatter. If you have to, use about 1 teaspoon of ground ginger in place of the tablespoon of fresh. It will not taste the same.
• What if I skip the orange zest in the frosting? Then you have regular cream cheese frosting, which is fine but not what makes this recipe special. The orange zest is the reason this cake tastes different from every other carrot cake on this site.
• Can I make this as cupcakes? Martha has a separate carrot cake cupcakes recipe that is designed for that format. This batter is built for two thick layers, and converting it to cupcakes would change the bake time and yield.

More Cake Recipes:

• German Chocolate Cake
• Lemon Cake
• Coconut Cake

Nutrition Facts

(1 slice, serves 12)

• Calories: 650
• Total Fat: 38g
• Saturated Fat: 20g
• Cholesterol: 130mg
• Sodium: 420mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 72g
• Protein: 7g