How to make carrot cake

Basics of this Zone

The recipe here is for a large oblong shaped carrot cake that can be cut into individual squares or oblongs. Adjust the amounts in order to make a  smaller or larger cake, or use the recipe to make smaller individual cakes. Of course, you will need to adjust the cooking time.

For a large cake that will slice into 18 pieces you will need:-

• 175G OF SULTANAS(OPTIONAL)
• 300G OF SELF-RAISING FLOUR
• 3 LARGE EGGS
• 250G OF LIGHT SOFT BROWN SUGAR
• 300G OF PEELED CARROTS (WEIGHT AFTER PEELING)
• 100G OF SOFTENED BUTTER
• 100G OF ICING SUGAR
• 300G OF FULL FAT, SOFT, CREAM CHEESE.
• 150G OF ROUGHLY CHOPPED PECANS, OR WALNUTS IF PREFERRED.
• THE ZEST AND JUICE OF ONE LARGE ORANGE
• 2 LEVEL TEASPOONS OF MIXED SPICE
• 11/2 LEVEL TEASPOONS OF BICARBONATE OF SODA
• 75G OF DESSICATED COCONUT
• 220ML OF SUNFLOWER OIL
• ONE TABLESPOON OF LEMON JUICE
• A FEW DROPS OF VANILLA EXTRACT(OPTIONAL)

You will need:-

• Quite a few different mixing bowls to hand
• Sieve
• Grater
• Baking or greaseproof paper
• Whisk which can be a hand whisk. If one is not available a large fork.
• Cooling rack

Yummy

• Grate the Carrots and put to one side.
• Pre-heat your oven to 160C or 140c for fan assisted ovens or set to mark 3 for gas ovens.
• Grease a  large oven proof dish or roasting tin(about 28 by 25cms in size)and line with greaseproof or baking paper.
• Place the nuts onto a baking tray and cook in the oven for around 8 minutes. Less, maybe, but never for longer.
• Put the orange zest into a bowl with the sultanas. There should be about two tablespoons of zest. Set this to one side and leave for about 20 minutes.

• Into a large bowl, sift the flour and add the mixed spice and bicarbonate soda.
• Add half of the nuts and all of the coconut
• Place the eggs, sugar and oil into a large bowl and whisk until the sugar begins to dissolve.
• To the egg mixture add the sultanas with their orange juice, the grated carrots and the flour mixture
• When thoroughly mixed together pour this mixture into the baking tin or dish.

• Place the carrot cake on the middle tray of your oven
• Bake for roughly one hour

• Leave the cake to cool in the dish or tin for about 10 minutes
• Lift the cake out onto a cooling rack or wire.

• Beat together the icing sugar and butter
• When softened add the lemon juice, vanilla and cheese.
• Beat a little more but not too much.
• Spread this mixture over the cooled cake, either roughly making peaks or spread it smooth.
• Sprinkly the remaining nuts on top of the cake.

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