Bake of the Month - November - Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is my husband’s favourite cake and his birthday is in November so it seemed appropriate to have this as my monthly blog recipe this month. I think this is the best carrot cake I’ve ever made. It’s tasty, moist and it’s easy too, I managed to make this with new six week old baby Hector strapped in his sling. The original recipe came from the Hairy Bikers but as usual I’ve adapted and simplified it slightly. As usual the best cakes use the best ingredients so get good quality flour (I always use Doves Farm) and the freshest of free range eggs.

Ingredients:

7oz self raising flour

3oz sultanas

3oz walnuts (broken up)

Zest of ½ an orange

1tsp ground cinnamon

1tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarb

Pinch salt

3 eggs

6fl oz sunflower oil

6oz soft, light brown sugar

7 oz carrots, grated

For the icing:

5oz icing sugar

5oz butter

6 oz cream cheese

1tsp orange juice

Zest of ½ an orange

Method:

Line and grease two cake tins and preheat oven to 160C/Gas Mark 4

Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarb into a bowl. Add sultanas, walnuts, orange zest and cinnamon and mix.

Put eggs, oil and sugar into another bowl or jug and whisk until smooth.

Make a well in your dry mixture and pour in the egg mixture and grated carrots. Mix well, making sure there’s no lumps of flour. Pour into your tins and bake for about 35/40 mins.

When you take out the oven leave to cool in tins for five minutes before you remove them onto a cooling rack.

I make my icing in the food processor. It’s less messy and much quicker. Whiz the butter and icing sugar together first then add the orange juice, zest and cream cheese. Decorate the cake when it’s completely cooled. Sprinkle some chopped walnuts on the top. I would have taken a picture of the finished cake to show you but most it got scoffed before I got a chance!