Add Toasted Walnuts To Carrot Cake For Amplified Flavor

Carrot cake topped with cream cheese frosting is a delicious dessert for any occasion because it's packed with flavor thanks to a blend of spices like cinnamon, has contrasting textures from fillings like raisins, and contains moisture from shredded carrots. Another integral ingredient to a delicious carrot cake is walnuts because they add nutty flavor and crunchy texture. For the best results, toast the walnuts before you add them to the carrot cake.

What's the perk of toasting walnuts (especially after you've already worked so hard shredding carrots and measuring sugars)? Toasting walnuts brings out their earthy and nutty flavors, which will bring more richness to your cake. It will also make them crunchier for more texture. You can roast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, or throw them on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 10 minutes. To elevate the flavors further, sprinkle the walnuts with salt, cinnamon, or allspice before toasting.

After the walnuts are toasted, there are three different ways to add them to your carrot cake. First, fold them into your batter along with the raisins and other ingredients. You don't want too many walnuts, so use around ½ cup. The next option for the toasted nuts is to mix them into the icing, which will give more flavor to the topping and a crunchy texture at the front of each bite, followed by the moist cake. The final way to incorporate the nuts into your cake is to use them as a garnish. You can also split it up and use half in the batter and half as a garnish.

You might be asking yourself, "Should the walnuts be chopped or whole?" The answer is chopped, no matter which way you're going to use them in your delicious carrot cake. That's because whole walnuts are too big, and you don't want bites full of nuts that take away from the essence of the cake. Meanwhile, finely chopped or crushed walnuts will be too small — even dusty — and lack the texture you want. And if walnuts just aren't your thing, use toasted pecans, pistachios, or your favorite nut for similar flavor and texture.