Time for a Treat!

One of the things I enjoy most is tea time with a little treat on the side. A good friend of ours brought us her homemade carrot cake one time and I fell in love with it. Most people I know are not fond of carrot cake, but this recipe (with a little twist of my own) always makes them cross to the other side! So I want to share it with you and I hope you enjoy it too.

Ingredients for two loaves (can be halved to make just one loaf):

· 2 cups self-raising flour

· 1 cup self-raising wholemeal flour

· 1 tsp mixed spice

· ½ tsp salt

· 2 ½ cups caster sugar

· 2 ½ cups sunflower oil

· 4 eggs

· 1 tbsp vanilla extract

· 3 cups grated carrot

Procedures:

1. Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 3. Line two loaf tins with greaseproof paper.

2. Sift flour. Add rest of ingredients. Mix well.

3. Divide into two loaf tins.

4. Bake for an hour.

Topping (Icing):

· 6 oz cream cheese

· 2 oz butter

· Juice of one lemon

· 12 oz icing sugar

Procedures:

1. Mix together.

2. Spoon on top of cooled carrot cake.

I know following recipes from cookbooks is never easy. Sometimes it leads to disaster and disappointment. Don’t lose heart when it doesn’t work the first time, practice makes perfect! Don’t be afraid to make some adjustments on the ingredients and procedures. I have written here some tips on how I make my carrot cake.

TIPS:

Sifting the flour is very important, I never take short-cuts with this, it makes the cake fluffier and lighter. When you sift wholemeal flour, it will leave some residue – don’t throw it, add it to the sifted flour. I always use my biggest bowl, this makes mixing easier (and I use a wooden spoon for mixing). You can add more of the mixed spice if you prefer a stronger taste, but I just want a hint of spice infused into the carrot cake. For the eggs, use large ones. I like using organic free range eggs, a little bit pricier but it gives a nicer colour to the cake (not pale compared to using battery eggs). Vanilla extract has a lovely flavour, I never use vanilla essence, it’s a poor imitation of the “real one”. When grating the carrots, use the finer side of the grater. I always line my tins with greaseproof paper. This prevents the cake from sticking into my Teflon tins (once you scratch your Teflon, sad to say it’s gone). I usually check the cake on the 50^th minute, if it’s nearly done (not wobbly and top is a little bit brownish), turn off the oven but leave the cake inside with the oven door closed. Then when the hour is completed, leave the door ajar (this will prevent the cake from collapsing). For the topping, let the butter soften before you mix it with the cream cheese. If it’s fresh from the fridge, microwave for about a minute on the lowest power, do not let the butter melt! If the butter is melted, it will result in a runny topping. You can add more or less of the icing sugar depending on your taste.

Now all you need to do is reward yourself with a big slice and have it with a nice cup of tea! Enjoy!