This Warm Stovetop Carrot Cake Is Oven-Free Magic

"Stovetop cakes should be more of a thing," writes culinary creator Jerrelle Guy in her cookbook, We Fancy. "If you have a good heavy-bottom, nonstick pan, you should take this no-bake route more often."

If you're seeking the perfect pick for a quick, easy, inaugural stovetop gateau, look no further than Guy's own carrot cake with goat cheese icing, which is prepared sans oven. "The cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove are vivid, aromatic, and comforting when heated," Guy explains. "The goat cheese icing, which also has a little tahini stirred in, is a funky, tangy, nutty twist on traditional cream cheese icing that brings an edge to all the spices as it melts into the warm cake."

Quince

Quince Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan

$50 at Quince

Served warm straight from the pan (or on plates, if you must), this is comfort dessert at its finest — familiar, deeply cozy, and surprisingly impressive. Consider it carrot cake at its most rustic and most convenient.

Warm Stovetop Carrot Cake with Goat Cheese Icing Recipe

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

• ¼ cup (28 grams) raw pine nuts, chopped walnuts, or pecans
• ½ cup (45 grams) shredded sweetened coconut flakes
• ¼ cup (36 grams) raisins, dark or golden
• ½ cup (55 grams) grated carrot (from about 1 large)
• 1 cup(245 grams) unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ¾ cup packed (165 grams) light brown sugar — or 1 cup (170 grams) coconut sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup (120 milliliters) avocado oil or mild olive oil
• 1 cup (140 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda

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Goat cheese icing

• 4 ounces (113 grams) goat cheese, softened (or use plain cream cheese in a pinch)
• 2 ounces (57 grams) unsalted butter, softened
• ½ tablespoon tahini paste, stirred before measuring
• 1½ tablespoons (32 grams) honey

Instructions

1. Toast the nuts and raisins: Place a heavy-bottom 9-inch skillet over medium-low heat and add the nuts, coconut, and raisins. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the nuts are lightly browned and toasted and the raisins have plumped. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow a few minutes to cool slightly.
2. Add the wet ingredients: Add the carrot, applesauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and oil and stir to combine.
3. Add the dry ingredients: Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and using a rubber spatula, fold everything together until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
4. "Bake" the cake: Return the skillet to the stovetop, cover with a lid or sheet of foil and cook over medium-low heat for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick inserted directly in the center comes out fairly clean.
5. Make the icing: To a small bowl add the goat cheese, butter, tahini, and honey and mix until smooth. Once the cake has cooked, dollop the icing over the top, spreading gently to the edges and allowing the heat to soften the icing.
6. Serve warm, gooey, and with spoons.

Notes: For pops of color and flavor, garnish the top of the cake with ribbons of rolled carrots or diced, candied orange peels.

You can also bake this cake the traditional way in a greased and lined 9-inch cake pan for 25 to 30 minutes at 350ºF.

Excerpted from WE FANCY. Copyright © 2026 by Jerrelle Guy. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.