White vs black carrot cake is a choice you will face at many hawker centres. White carrot cake is fried with egg until crisp and savoury. Black carrot cake has sweet dark soy sauce added, so it is softer, stickier and sweeter.
Both start with the same base, and neither has any carrots in it. Here is how they differ, and how to pick the right one for you.
What is fried carrot cake?
Fried carrot cake is called chai tow kway in Hokkien and Teochew, two Chinese dialects. It is cubes of steamed radish cake, fried with egg, garlic and preserved radish. It is a classic hawker breakfast, but many stalls sell it all day.
Why there are no carrots
The cake is made from white radish, also called daikon, mixed with rice flour and steamed. In Hokkien, white radish is “chai tow”, and it is sometimes called “white carrot” in English. That name stuck, so the dish became carrot cake, even with no orange carrots in sight.
What else is in it
- Radish cake: soft cubes with a mild, slightly sweet taste.
- Egg: beaten and fried around the cake.
- Chai poh: chopped preserved radish, salty and a little sweet.
- Garlic and spring onion: for a fresh, savoury finish.
- Chilli paste: only if you ask for it.
White carrot cake: crisp and savoury
For white carrot cake, the cook fries the radish cake until it browns, then pours egg over it. The egg sets into a golden, crisp crust. Some stalls press it flat like an omelette, while others break it into chunky pieces.
The taste is salty, garlicky and eggy, with crisp edges and a soft centre. It is the better pick if you like savoury food, or if you want to taste the radish cake itself.
Black carrot cake: sweet and sticky
Black carrot cake starts the same way. Then the cook adds sweet dark soy sauce, which coats every piece and caramelises in the hot wok. The egg mixes through rather than forming a crust.
The result is soft, sticky and sweet, with a little smoky char. If you enjoy char kway teow, you will probably like black carrot cake, as it uses the same kind of sauce.
White vs black carrot cake: which should you order?
There is no wrong answer. It comes down to whether you prefer crisp and savoury, or soft and sweet.
- Choose white if you like crisp textures, salty food and a lighter taste.
- Choose black if you like sweet and salty flavours and a softer bite.
- Order both to share if you cannot decide. Plates are small enough to try side by side.
How to order
Say the colour, the size and whether you want chilli. For example: “one white, small, with chilli”. Most stalls sell small and large plates. Prices are low, often around S$3 to S$6 a plate, but prices change.
For takeaway, say “da bao”, which means to pack it to go. The dish has no meat in most versions, but some stalls use lard or add prawns. If you are vegetarian, ask before you order.
Where to eat fried carrot cake
You can find carrot cake at many hawker centres and kopitiams, which are traditional coffee shops. Look for a big, flat wok with a block of white radish cake beside it.
- Chomp Chomp Food Centre in Serangoon Gardens, a popular hawker centre in the evening.
- Old Airport Road Food Centre, a large hawker centre with plenty of choice.
See more stalls on our Hawker Favourites page. To learn more about coffee shops, read what a kopitiam is. For ordering basics, see how to order at hawker stalls, and browse more dishes in Hawker Dishes Explained.
FAQs about fried carrot cake
Does carrot cake have carrots in it?
No. It is made from white radish and rice flour. The name comes from a Hokkien word for radish.
Is it the same as dim sum radish cake?
They are related, but not the same. In dim sum, radish cake is usually pan-fried in slices. At hawker stalls, it is cut up and fried with egg.
Is fried carrot cake vegetarian?
Not always. It contains egg, and some stalls use lard or add prawns. Ask the stall if you need it meat-free.
Is black carrot cake spicy?
Only if you ask for chilli. Without chilli, black carrot cake is sweet and savoury.
