Well-drained carrots
Finely grated, then pressed in a cloth: skip this and the crumb stays soggy and never bakes through.
Carrot cakethe recipe.
Homemade · cream cheese frosting · anti-wasteCarrot cake is the signature dessert at Berchoux, up on the Montmartre hill. We open our notebook: the ingredients, the gestures, the frosting and the mistakes to avoid for a moist slice you won't forget.
20 min prep, 50 min in the oven 🥕
Three gestures that make the difference
A gentle bake at 170 °C
An oven too hot crusts the outside before the centre sets. Patience keeps the cake tender.
A cold cake before frosting
Cream cheese on a warm base melts and slides. Wait until it is fully cool, even if that means baking the day before.
For a 22–24 cm tin · 8 to 10 slices
The ingredients to gather
The carrots matter more than anything else: firm, sweet and in season. Here is a basic list to make it at home, batter and frosting.
The real benchmark: the weight of the carrots once grated and drained.
- 500 g freshly grated, drained carrots
- 250 g plain flour and a sachet of baking powder
- 3 whole eggs at room temperature
- 180 g brown or muscovado sugar
- 150 ml neutral oil: sunflower or grapeseed
- Cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, a touch of vanilla
- 100 g toasted walnuts or pecans
- 200 g well-chilled cream cheese
- 80 g soft butter
- 60 g icing sugar
- A few drops of lemon, if you like some tang
The recipe step by step
Follow the order: each step sets up the next.
Prepare the carrots
Peel, grate finely, then press in a cloth to remove excess water.
Mix the dry ingredients
Sift flour and baking powder, add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and a pinch of salt.
Emulsify
Whisk eggs and brown sugar until pale, then pour in the oil in a thin stream.
Fold in
Add the dry mix in two batches with a spatula, then the carrots and nuts, without overworking.
Bake gently
Lined tin, oven at 170 °C, 45 to 50 minutes depending on your oven: the knife comes out barely moist.
Cool down
Unmould after ten minutes and let it cool completely on a rack.
Make the frosting
Whisk cold cream cheese with soft butter and icing sugar, just enough.
Frost and finish
Spread generously, scatter crushed nuts and chill for thirty minutes.
The frosting makes or breaks a carrot cake.
“A good carrot cake means time, good produce and nothing superfluous. The rest is generosity.”Julie Berchoux, chef
Our frosting stays deliberately low in sugar to let the carrot and spices speak. Well-chilled cream cheese, soft butter: that contrast gives a firm cream that holds without weighing down. Overbeaten, it loosens; twenty minutes in the fridge firms it up.
An anti-waste recipe
Carrot cake was born in thrifty kitchens, which is exactly what we love. Slightly tired carrots from the veg drawer are perfect here: their sugar has concentrated. For storage, a few simple rules:
- Three to four days in the fridge, covered, once frosted
- Taken out twenty minutes before serving to regain its softness
- The plain base freezes, the frosting is made on the day
- Peelings into stock, nut trimmings as topping: nothing is lost
No time to bake?
Ours is waiting for you in Montmartre
Want to taste the house one? Our carrot cake is served by the slice at 105 rue Caulaincourt, steps from Lamarck-Caulaincourt metro, to eat in or take away.
Frequently asked questions
What is the original carrot cake recipe?
Its foundation: grated carrots as the base, flour and baking powder, gentle spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg), nuts and a cream cheese frosting. This recipe keeps that foundation and adjusts the rest: brown sugar, neutral oil rather than butter, less added sugar and a gentle bake at 170 °C.
How do I get a really moist carrot cake?
Three keys: finely grated, drained carrots, oil rather than butter in the batter, and a gentle bake around 170 °C, never extended out of caution.
Can I make the carrot cake the day before?
Yes, it's even recommended: the base benefits from an overnight rest as the spices settle. Ideally, frost it on the day you serve it.
Are nuts mandatory?
No. They add crunch but are optional, especially for allergies. Pumpkin seeds replace them very well, without changing the bake.
Can I reduce the sugar?
Yes. Carrots already bring natural sweetness: you can cut the brown sugar by about a fifth. Keep the frosting lightly sweet for balance.
Where can I taste Berchoux's carrot cake?
In Montmartre, at 105 rue Caulaincourt, Paris 18, where it is served by the slice all week, to eat in or take away.
Also worth exploring
To extend the treat and learn all about our carrot cake:
A ready-made slice is waiting for you
You have the recipe, we have the oven on. Book your table or call us for your sweet break on the Butte.