Carrot Cake

In my bid to sneak in more fibre into cakes and muffins, I have made countless versions of carrot cakes and banana bread over the years, but I have to say this recipe is probably the best.

It is soft, moist and so very delicious.

I’ve made this cake several times, over and over. My little son loves it and so does everyone else.

Do try it, I promise, you will bake this again and again.

Ingredients

• 175gm Self raising flour
• 175ml sunflower oil
• 175gm muscovado sugar
• 3 large eggs , lightly beaten
• Carrots, grated- 140 gm about 3 medium sized
• Raisins- 100 gm
• Orange zest- grated- 1 large orange
• Bicarbonate of soda - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon powder- 1 tsp
• Nutmeg, grated ( optional)- 1/2 tsp
• For the Icicng
• Icing sugar - 150--175 gms
• Orange juice- 2 tbsp

Method

1.Preheat oven to 180C.  Grease and line a 7 inch square tin. Line with baking paper.

Pour sugar in a big bowl, add  the oil and beaten eggs. Mix lightly, ideally with a wooden spoon.

Stir in the grated carrots, raisins and orange zest. Sift together flour, soda bicarb, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Pour into the bowl containing the wet ingredients and mix lightly till everything is mixed well and the resultant mixture is runny. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for about 40-45 minutes. The cake is ready when the centre feels firm and is springy to touch.

Cool the cake in the tin for about 5 minutes and then turn it out. The easy way to turn out cakes it to put a large dish to cover it and then just flip it over unceremoniously. Maybe a nudge or two on the bottom of the tin would help ease the cake onto the plate.

FOR THE ICING

This icing couldn’t get any simpler. All you do is just mix together the icing sugar and the orange juice. The resultant mixture is quite runny. Dip a spoon in this and from a height of about 1-2 inches, just move it back and forth, drizzling the icing and making patterns as you desire.

This job is always entrusted to my son.. so you see, it is indeed very simple.