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The best carrot cake for afternoon tea
We searched supermarkets and coffee shops to find you the tastiest one.
Despite its name, carrot cake should not be heavily laden with an earthy taste. Its flavour should be more complex, mixing caramelised brown sugar, warming cinnamon, nutmeg and clove with its main ingredient. Abundantly topped with cream cheese frosting and often sprinkled with walnuts, it should be soft, but not so much that it falls apart into a million crumbs.
A good carrot cake should have a light and fluffy sponge with creamy and tangy frosting. Perfect with your next cup of tea, we tested 12 cakes from a range of supermarkets and coffee shops to find the perfect balance of carrot, nuts and spices.
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WINNER: M&S Carrot Cake
Overall Score: 83/100
A clear winner for its moist, gently spiced, warming vanilla sponge and juicy raisins, perfectly balanced by the indulgent thick cream cheese frosting. A melt in the mouth slice!
Available in store only at M&S, £2.80 serves 6.
RUNNER-UP: Tesco Finest Carrot Cake
Overall Score: 78/100
Sweet sultanas and brown sugar give this sponge a lovely flavour with a zingy orange cream cheese frosting. Moist yet light in texture with a lovely walnut crunch, some testers found the frosting slightly gritty.
BUY NOW Tesco, £2.75 serves 6.
COOK Triple Layered Carrot Cake
Overall Score: 77/100
Multiple layers of soft and light sponge are topped with a good serving of sweet cream cheese with shreds of carrot. Testers appreciated the cinnamon kick coming through in the fluffy sponge but the icing was overly sweet for some.
BUY NOW COOK, £12 for 1.6kg.
Waitrose & Partners Carrot Cake
Overall Score: 75/100
Well packed with walnuts, carrots and sultanas, the sponge is moist and fluffy underneath the sweet frosting. Testers commented on the crunch of the carrot and liked the delicately spiced aroma, although some noted the frosting was too sparse.
BUY NOW Waitrose, £2.89 serves 8.
Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Carrot Cake
Overall Score: 74/100
A burst of sultana sweetness is well balanced with the cinnamon and nutmeg spices in this fluffy sponge. Appealing for its warming, spiced aroma, some felt the thick frosting was unevenly spread.
BUY NOW Sainsbury's, £2.75 for 430g.
Asda Extra Special Hand Finished Carrot Cake
Overall Score: 72/100
Providing a distinct carrot flavour, this sponge is packed with sultanas and nuts for an overall warming, spiced taste. Tasters enjoyed the sweet cream cheese and good coating of walnuts, but some found the sponge slightly dry.
BUY NOW Asda, £2.25 for 388g.
Lidl Deluxe Hand Finished Carrot Cake
Overall Score: 71/100
This cake combines a lightly sweetened and tangy cream cheese with a savoury walnut taste. The sponge is delicately spiced and features a generously nutty topping amongst the soft frosting, but several testers felt the sponge was too dry.
In-store only, Lidl, £1.79 for 428g.
Costa Coffee Carrot & Walnut Cake
Overall Score: 70/100
Walnut and carrot flavours with a spicy kick dominate the deep, golden sponge. Testers enjoyed the crunchy bite from the carrot and nuts but felt the sweet frosting was lacking in thickness.
Available in store only at Costa Coffee, from £2.65 per slice (148g).
Co-op Irresistible Carrot Cake
Overall Score: 70/100
The creamy consistency of the tangy and buttery frosting compliments the spiced sponge. Whilst some testers said they couldn't taste the sultanas, most acknowledged the flavours of nutmeg and ginger were pleasant.
BUY NOW Co-op, £3 for 374g.
EAT Carrot Cake
Overall Score: 69/100
Flavourful raisins join the light carrot taste of this moist sponge with just a hint of vanilla to form a good ratio of sponge to fruit and nuts. Though some found the the gritty sugar in the sponge unpleasant, most enjoyed the sweet cream cheese frosting.
Available in store only at EAT, from £1.80 for 95g.
We also tested..
Pret a Manger Carrot Cake £1.75 69/100
Morrisons The Best Carrot Cake £2.92 68/100
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