Recipe: Spiced Carrot Cake
Perfect for Autumn, this hearty loaf is filled with Autumnal flavours and spices — which makes it perfect to have with your afternoon cuppa. Super easy and super tasty!
Serves- 8
Prep: 40 mins
Cook: 1 hour
Ingredients
225g (8oz) self-raising flour
2tsp baking powder
150g (5oz) soft light brown sugar
2 medium eggs
300g/10½oz grated carrot (grated weight)
75g (3oz) walnuts, chopped
2 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
150ml (¼ pt) corn or sunflower oil
1tsp ground mixed spice, ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ nutmeg
For the orange cream cheese icing
300g tub Philadelphia soft cheese
(2tbsp) caster sugar
Finely grated rind of 1 orange
1tbsp) fresh orange juice
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4). Lightly grease an 18 x 27cm (7 x 10½ in) tin and line with non-stick baking parchment.
Chop walnuts, peel and grate a large carrot, mash banana well.
For the carrot cake, beat the eggs in a large bowl, then add the oil, brown sugar, grated carrot, mashed banana and chopped nuts.
Sift in the flour, spices and baking powder, then mix using a wooden spoon until well combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, smooth the surface and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Holding onto the baking parchment edges and carefully pull the loaf out of the tin. Remove parchment; sliding onto a presentation plate. Leave to cool completely.
To make the icing - place the cheese, sugar, orange rind and juice in a bowl and beat together until smooth. Spread over the cake and swirl with the back of a spoon. Decorate with orange slices.
Written By: Zoe Bondi