If autumn had a favourite dessert, it would surely be a classic, moist carrot cake. Whether you’re serving it with afternoon tea or enjoying it as a sweet breakfast treat, it’s an ideal dish.

Getting the recipe right though, is essential. Chewing into dry cake with bits of stringy carrot is a little less autumn vibes and a little more awful vibes. Sorry.

HuffPost UK spoke with Kathleen McShane, owner of Bavarian Bakehouse to ask for her secret to a perfect carrot cake and she very generously shared her recipe with us as well as a handy tip for getting the most out of your bake.

McShane said: “Carrot cake isn’t just about the sweet grated carrot and warm spices; it’s the balance of flavours that makes each bite deliciously unforgettable.”

We couldn’t agree more.

Your new go-to carrot cake recipe

For the cake itself, you’ll need:

350g grated carrot
113g self-raising wholemeal flour
113g plain wholemeal flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
0.5 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
237ml vegetable oil
170g soft brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tbsp golden syrup

For the icing:

198g cream cheese (room temperature)
85g softened butter
85g sieved icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Once you have all of this assembled, it’s time to bake. 

How to bake carrot cake

Prep your base: Start by grating the carrots and setting them aside. Sieve the flours, spices, and bicarbonate of soda together, adding the bran back into the mix.
Wet ingredients: In a separate container, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, golden syrup, and soft brown sugar until well combined.
Mix it up: Fold the wet ingredients into the dry mix until smooth. Add the grated carrots (and nuts if you’re feeling adventurous!).
Bake: Pour the mixture into lined cake tins and bake at 160°C for 60 minutes, checking for doneness after 50 minutes. Let it cool completely before icing.

How to make carrot cake icing

Smooth and creamy: Mix the room-temperature butter and cream cheese until smooth.
Sweeten it up: Add the sieved icing sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until creamy.
Decorate: Spread the icing generously over the top of your cooled carrot cake and decorate as desired.

The final tip from McShane is: “Let the flavours develop overnight for an even richer taste.”

But honestly, we won’t blame you if you dive in right away.