Carrot cake
Carrot cake has grown on me over the years. Vegetables in a cake was something I could never get on board with, but I’ve clearly become more open minded.
Recipe, makes 1 loaf
2 eggs, whites and yolks separated
1 cup (120g) plain wholemeal flour
1/2 (80g) cup oat flour
4 heaped tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spices
Sprinkle salt
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 cup roasted walnuts, chopped + extra to top
1/4 cup milk (and more if needed to make the cake batter)
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1 tbsp butter, softened
200g cream cheese
3-4 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Method
Preheat your oven to 170°C.
Add your walnuts to a baking tray and roast for 12 minutes, if they aren’t already roasted.
In a large mixing bowl, add all your flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar, spices, grated carrot and walnuts, mixing well to combine.
Separate your egg whites and yolks, leaving the whites in a large bowl and the yolks in a smaller one.
Whip your egg whites until they just about form stiff peaks.
Add your milk to the dry ingredients, mixing through well, then gently fold through your egg whites and yolks.
Add your vanilla, and melted butter and stir through until you have no chunks of flour.
If more milk is needed, then add it - you want it to be a cake batter consistency, and to be able to pour the batter into your tin.
Pour the cake batter into a lined tin, then bake for 15 minutes, turning around and then baking for a further 15.
Whilst your cake cooks, whip all the ingredients for the frosting together in a bowl and adjust to taste. Leave the frosting in the fridge, so the butter hardens slightly.
You’ll know if the cake’s done when it springs back to the touch, and is golden brown on the top. Remove it from the oven and leave it to cool completely, before you top with your frosting.
Once your cake has completely cooled down, remove from the tin, then spread your frosting over the top.
Top with more roasted walnuts and serve.
Keep in the fridge in an airtight container, or wrapped in foil, for up to 5 days.
Notes + Variations:
You could also add raisins to this if you wanted to, but they are absolutely off limits for me.
