The Carrot Cake cocktail recipe

Eh, what's up, doc? The Carrot Cake cocktail, that’s what. Much like carrot cake, the cocktail conjures festive thoughts of birthday celebrations or holidays and warm scents of baked spices wafting through a cosy home. And while this drink is an autumnal masterpiece perfect for Easter, it’s also a classic all-year-rounder thanks to its invigorating fresh carrot juice and deliciously moreish nutty, creamy notes.

Let’s get into how this flame-coloured drink came about. It’s believed that carrot cake originated in the Middle Ages by Europeans who would eat carrot puddings. As sugar was too expensive, people would often use carrots as a substitute sweetener, and boy, did it catch on. True to its namesake, our drink version is aromatic, a touch vegetal and not too sweet, with the flavours remaining comfortingly cake-like.

However, unlike your grandma's cute carrot cake, this drink isn’t reserved for teatime with the fam-bam. It packs a serious flavour punch, perfect for that splash of cocktail-party panache. Think VSOP Cognac for that distinct oaky flavour and depth, vanilla liqueur and Frangelico for hints of spice and nuttiness, and cream and golden syrup for that cake-ish dessert complexity, all rounded out by the freshness of the carrot juice.

Designed to taste like a comforting yet elevated carrot cake, this tried-and-tested (we know, poor us, right?) recipe is sure to have tongues wagging at your next gathering for its delicious desserty goodness.

The recipe calls for carrot juice to achieve that lively flavour for its base, and like all juices, we reckon fresh juice works the best. We used Galliano as the vanilla liqueur for its sweet whipped-cream notes, but once you’ve mastered the base recipe, feel free to try your hand at variations to mix things up – maybe even a mash-up of the Carrot Cake cocktail and White Russian by adding a touch of coffee liqueur instead. 

The goal is to get it tasting close to the cake version. The toasty hazelnut flavours and vanilla notes from the Frangelico mirror the creamy qualities of a classic carrot cake while the garnish of crushed walnuts adds further nutty notes and enhances the velvety texture of the carrot juice. 

Our pro tip here is to use a large clear ice cube dipped in finely ground walnuts – be sure to rub the cube on your hand so it melts a little, which will help the ground nuts stick better. Oh, and make sure the mouth of your chosen glass is big enough to fit the larger ice cube and walnut garnish to ensure you can have your cake and drink it, too.