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Slice of carrot apple and walnut cake on a plate topped with cream cheese frosting, walnuts, lemon zest, and icing sugar.

Cake Apple & Walnut Cake

This carrot apple and walnut loaf is a beautifully moist, warmly spiced bakery-style cake packed with grated carrot, juicy apple, roasted walnuts, and sweet sultanas. Made with olive oil and a balance of wholemeal and plain flour, the loaf stays soft and tender for days while delivering rich flavour and gentle texture in every slice.
Finished with a smooth cream cheese yoghurt frosting, fresh lemon zest, roasted walnuts, and a light dusting of icing sugar, this comforting loaf combines homemade warmth with dependable baking science. Perfect for afternoon tea, lunchboxes, sharing with family, or baking ahead, it’s a timeless recipe designed for baking joy at every table.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 10 people
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Baking
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 150 g Plain flour
  • 250 g Wholemeal flour
  • 20 g Bicarbonate of Soda
  • 290 g Soft Brown Sugar
  • 160 g Castor Sugar
  • 3 g Sea Salt
  • 7 g Cinnamon ground
  • 4 g Ginger ground
  • 6 g Nutmeg ground
  • 85 g Walnut pieces (Note 1)
  • 430 g Carrot (Note 2)
  • 300 g Apples (Note 3)
  • 250 g Sultanas
  • 320 g Olive oil
  • 6 eggs (70g)
Cream Cheese topping
  • 200 g Cream cheese (Note 4)
  • 115 g Unsalted butter (Note 5)
  • 200 g Castor Sugar
  • 30 g Plain Yoghurt
Decoration
  • 40 g Walnuts
  • 1 Lemon rinded
Icing sugar
  • 50 g Icing sugar

Equipment

  • 1 680g Loaf tin
  • 1 Oven
  • 1 Oven tray
  • 1 Stand Mixer
  • 1 Stand Mixer Whisk
  • 1 Oil Brush
  • 1 Jug
  • 1 grater
  • 2 Bowls (medium )
  • 1 Large Bowl
  • 1 Bowl scraper
  • 1 large spoon
  • 1 Sieve
  • 1 chopping board
  • 1 Pallet knife
  • 1 knife
  • 1 citrus zester

Method
 

Cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 160C
  2. Prepare a 680g loaf tin. Oil the sides and bottom and line the bottom with baking paper.
  3. Roast the walnuts and roughly chop(not too small)
  4. Sift the plain flour, wholemeal flour (note 6), ginger,nutmeg, cinnamon, Bicarbonate of soda and salt
  5. Grate the carrot and apple (skin on) and add to the dry mix
  6. Add in the sultanas and cooled walnuts
  7. Blend together so the flour coats all the ingredients and set aside
  8. In a stand mixer add in th whole eggs and both castor and soft brown sugar
  9. Whisk on a medium speed until the mix is full, white and thick.
  10. Reduce the speed and slowly add in the oil and mix in well ensuring to keep the volume
  11. Add to the dry mix and mix in well
  12. Deposit into the tin until it is 3/4 full
  13. Bake for around one hour. The middle should bounce back, a skewer should come out clean from the middle of the cake. The temperature of the cake when set will reach 85C .
  14. When cooked Cool completely before removing from the tin.
Cream Cheese Topping
  1. With a flat beat in the stand Mixer mix the cream cheese and butter together until smooth on a medium speed
  2. Add in the sugar and continue mixing until smooth
  3. Scrape down and add the yoghurt.
  4. Scrape down the sides and pop the cream cheese icing onto the loaf and using a palette knife spread evenly
Decoration
  1. Roast the nuts lightly and cool before use.
  2. Add the nuts to the top of the loaf.
  3. Add the walnuts and zest of lemon.
Icing sugar
  1. Dust top with icing sugar

Notes

Recipe Notes — Carrot Apple & Walnut Loaf

Note 1: Walnuts

Firstly, the walnuts make a significant difference to both flavour and texture in this loaf. Personally, I prefer Australian walnuts because they are often lighter in colour, naturally sweeter, and less bitter than some imported varieties.
Importantly, always roast the walnuts before adding them to the batter.

Roast at:

 175°C fan forced
until lightly golden brown and aromatic.
Then, allow them to cool completely before roughly chopping.
However, avoid chopping them too finely. Larger pieces create better texture contrast throughout the soft crumb and give the loaf those beautiful bakery-style walnut pockets in every slice.
Meanwhile, roasting also intensifies flavour through Maillard reactions, creating a deeper, warmer nut profile.

Note 2: Carrots

Importantly, there is no need to peel the carrots.
Instead, simply wash them thoroughly before grating.
For best results, use a coarse grater rather than a very fine grate. This helps the carrot retain structure during baking while still releasing enough moisture into the loaf.
Additionally, always use fresh, juicy carrots whenever possible.
This is important because dry older carrots contain less natural moisture, which can slightly reduce softness in the final cake.
Fresh carrots, on the other hand, contribute:
  • Better moisture retention
  • Natural sweetness
  • Softer crumb
  • Richer flavour
Consequently, the loaf stays beautifully moist for longer.

Note 3: Apples

Similarly, the apples contribute far more than just flavour.
They also provide:
  • Moisture
  • Natural sugars
  • Acidity
  • Improved shelf life
I always prefer using seasonal apples because they generally contain better flavour and juicier flesh.
Importantly, leave the skin on.
Not only does this reduce waste, but it also adds colour, fibre, and additional flavour complexity throughout the loaf.
Meanwhile, I prefer grating the apples rather than dicing them.
This helps distribute moisture more evenly through the batter, preventing wet pockets while maintaining a beautifully soft crumb structure.
As a result, the loaf bakes more evenly and remains moist for days.

Note 4: Cream Cheese

For the frosting, always use full cream block-style cream cheese rather than light or spreadable versions.
This is incredibly important because lighter cream cheese products usually contain:
  • More water
  • Less fat
  • Softer stabilisers
Consequently, they often create runny or unstable frosting.
Full cream cream cheese, meanwhile, whips more smoothly, holds its structure better, and creates a richer bakery-style finish.
Therefore, the frosting remains:
  • Thicker
  • Creamier
  • More stable
  • Easier to spread
especially once chilled.

Note 5: Unsalted Butter

When preparing the frosting, the butter should be softened — not melted.
Ideally, cut the butter into small cubes and allow it to soften naturally until finger soft.
This means:
 Soft enough to press gently
BUT
 Not oily, shiny, or collapsing.
If the butter becomes too warm or melted:
  • The frosting may split
  • Texture can become greasy
  • Stability reduces significantly
Meanwhile, properly softened butter traps air more effectively during whipping, creating a lighter, smoother frosting with better volume and texture.