Mauritian Carrot Cake

About This Recipe

Mauritian carrot cake is less heavy than Western versions, lightened with pineapple juice and coconut. The warm spices — cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger — reflect Indian influences, while the toasted coconut topping is purely island style. It's a beloved dessert at family gatherings and celebrations. Rooted in the everyday cooking of Mauritian kitchens, Mauritian Carrot Cake balances technique and tradition: the grated carrots is treated with care, drawing on time-honoured ratios that locals have refined across generations. The dish carries an unmistakable sensory signature — aromas that fill the kitchen as it cooks, layered textures that reveal themselves bite by bite, and a depth of flavour that comes from patient seasoning rather than shortcuts. Whether served as a weeknight dessert or as the centrepiece of a celebratory table, it reflects a regional pantry where local produce, seasoning habits and cooking vessels shape the final result. Home cooks who make this dish often note how forgiving it is once the core method is understood, and how a few small choices — the freshness of the grated carrots, the order of additions, the resting time at the end — separate a good version from a memorable one. This recipe walks through those choices so the dish arrives with the character it has on its home turf.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 2 cupsgrated carrots
• 1.5 cupsall-purpose flour
• 1 cupsugar
• 3/4 cuppineapple juice
• 1/2 cupcoconut oil
• 2 largeeggs

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare dry ingredients

   Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt into a bowl.

2. 2

   Mix wet ingredients

   Whisk eggs with sugar until light. Add coconut oil and pineapple juice.

3. 3

   Combine

   Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Fold in grated carrots gently.

4. 4

   Bake

   Pour into a greased 9-inch pan. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

5. 5

   Cool and frost

   Cool 10 minutes in pan. Turn out and cool completely. Frost with cream cheese icing and top with toasted coconut.

Variations

• •

  Add walnuts or pecans to the batter

• •

  Use crushed pineapple instead of juice for extra moisture

• •

  Top with a light glaze instead of cream cheese frosting

• •

  Vegetarian: replace the main protein with mushrooms, paneer, tofu or hearty beans for a meat-free version.

• •

  Spicier: add fresh chilli, a chilli paste or a pinch of cayenne with the aromatics for a warmer profile.

Storage

Keeps 3-4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Refrigerate if frosted with cream cheese.

Frequently Asked Questions