Gulrótarkaka - Icelandic carrot cake is variable

Over the years, Icelandic carrot cake has become THE birthday cake in our family that is actually served at all family celebrations.

My daughter in particular loves carrot cake, she always asks for it for her birthday and I have already baked it for her confirmation, wedding and grandchild's baptism.

Many different variants

I've had my basic recipe for Icelandic carrot cake on the blog since 2014, with grated carrots, egg whites and chopped nuts in the dough. And optionally with cream cheese cream or, if time is short, just with powdered sugar or lemon icing.

I usually bake it as a cake, sometimes with two tiers, sometimes as a "naked cake" without a lining on the outside so that you can clearly see the layers. This was the " festive version " (Spari Gulrótarkaka), with coconut flakes and grated pineapple in the dough, which was served for the christening of my grandchild in 2018.

I have also baked the carrot cake in a vegan version , with almond milk and oil, a little apple cider vinegar (as an egg substitute) and vegan cream cheese and vegan butter.

I've also baked carrot cake "plain", in a loaf pan and just with cream cheese cream on top. But there was also ginger, cinnamon and chopped canned peaches in the dough.

I don't have my own recipe on the blog for this version - I baked the cake for my birthday in Iceland this year when I was "pre-partying" with friends at the weekend - basically the box cake version with chopped peaches and spices in the dough, but with vegan margarine and vegan cream cheese substitute because a friend can't tolerate dairy products. But with a really chic cake candle stand on the cake!

And when it comes to decoration, I can let off steam to my heart's content anyway, whether it's the classic version as a "unicorn edition" (with a violent unicorn and rainbow decoration made of icing on the dressed carrot cake based on my basic recipe), which is available this year It was my daughter's birthday...

... or this themed cake as a cat cake homage to the Reykjavík cat café (also with apricot jam and lots and lots of colored marzipan decoration). When I saw the picture here, my husband had to pause and ask where the cake was in the picture..!

And, could you eat Icelandic carrot cake in practically every situation and for every occasion?

[Translated from here.]