Carrot Cake (with photo)

[asha_76]

Hi all,

I had a bag of carrots going off in the fridge that I needed to do something with and the obvious answer was Carrot Cake!  I converted this recipe from one of my cookbooks before realising that there were other Carrot Cake recipes on the forums.  It was so lovely and moist though that I thought I would share anyway.  It has been very popular in our house!

CARROT CAKE -   - adapted from Afternoon Tea released by Frankie Magazine

Ingredients

Cake
140g self-raising flour
140g plain flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
200g vegetable oil
100g lightly packed soft brown sugar
4 eggs
150g golden syrup
300g carrot, roughly chopped
60g walnuts

Icing
180g cream cheese
60g butter
170g icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Preparation
1.  Preheat oven to 160° and grease a deep 23 cm round cake tin...you may wish to also line the base and sides with baking paper.
2. Place walnuts into TM bowl and chop for 2-3 seconds on Speed 4.  Set aside.
3.  Place carrots into bowl and grate for 5 seconds on Speed 7.  Set aside and rinse bowl if necessary.
4. Put vegetable oil, brown sugar, eggs and golden syrup into TM bowl and mix for 5 seconds on Speed 7.
5. Add self-raising flour, plain flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and bicarbonate of soda.  Mix for 5 seconds on Speed 5.
6. Add the carrots and walnuts and mix for 20-30 seconds on Reverse + Speed 2.
7.  Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, using the spatula to completely incorporate the carrot and walnuts if necessary, and smooth the surface.
8.  Bake for an hour, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.  Clean or rinse TM bowl whilst cake is cooking.
9. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for at least 15 minutes before turning onto a wire rack.
10.   To make icing, place cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice into TM bowl and process for 15-20 seconds on Speed 9.
11.   Spread the icing over cooled cake.

Tips/Hints
The top can be decorated with additional chopped walnuts (I ran out so the top of my cake looks a little plain)!

The book doesn't specify whether oven temp is for fan forced oven but I always reduce my oven temp by 20° for everything as it is so powerful (mine is fan forced).  So while the book says 160°, I cooked my cake on 140° for an hour and it was fine.  If yours is fan forced I would lean towards lowering the temperature as well seeing as the cake is in there for an hour.

members' comments

Uni - I cooked my cake on 150^oC for 1 hour it was perfect.

[judydawn]

If ever I have a load of carrots (usually someone has given them to me when they buy in bulk from a farmers' market) I make carrot cake and carrot soup. You can never have too many carrot cake recipes asha_76, thanks for your recipe.

[Tam]

Looks delicious!!!!
I am tempted to add a banana cake recipe that is on Best Recipes - might just have to ask the submitter (Kath, I know her from the forum) if I can.........it's been made over 100 times and always gets rave reviews.  It's the best banana cake I've ever had and so easy.

[fundj&e]

thanks asha, like JD said you can never have too.......................

is oven temp 160 for a f/f oven

[maddy]

Asha, I love that book.....and have you seen their other book sweets treats? Just as good.
Thanks, I was in the mood to make some carrot cake 

[knittercook]

Looks delicious!!!!
I am tempted to add a banana cake recipe that is on Best Recipes - might just have to ask the submitter (Kath, I know her from the forum) if I can.........it's been made over 100 times and always gets rave reviews.  It's the best banana cake I've ever had and so easy.

Yes please Tam, I loooooove banana cake 

As well as carrot cake so thank you for sharing asha

[asha_76]

fundj - The book doesn't specify whether oven temp is for fan forced oven but I always reduce my oven temp by 20° for everything as it is so powerful (mine is fan forced).  So while the book says 160°, I cooked my cake on 140° for an hour and it was fine.  If yours is fan forced I would lean towards lowering the temperature as well seeing as the cake is in there for an hour.

maddy - Yes it's a great book although sometimes I get a bit frustrated with it because the instructions are a bit vague.  If you don't do a lot of baking then I think you would run into trouble with some recipes.  Apart from the Carrot Cake, I've also made the Banana Muffins and Lemon Meringue Pie in my pre TM days!  I've seen the Sweet Treats book but don't have a copy as yet...just Googled it and saw you can buy online...that might be my shopping fix for the day!

[fundj&e]

I cooked my cake on 150 for 1 hour it was perfect 

[Wonder]

I might have to make this cake tonight. I don't generally eat cakes as I find them to sweet but carrot cake is one that I do enjoy.

[asha_76]

Great to hear fundj...there's only two slices left of mine after two days.  I was looking at them longingly after lunch but thought I had better save a piece for hubby to have when he gets home from work!