Carrot Cake (and variants)

Ingredients (serves 12)

• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 cups grated carrot (see note)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 quantity cream cheese frosting (see related recipe)
• Walnuts, to decorate

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 6cm-deep, 19cm square cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper.
2. Sift flour, spice and cinnamon into a bowl. Add sugar, carrot, chopped walnuts, oil and eggs. Stir to combine. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean (cover loosely with foil if over-browning). Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
3. Spread frosting over cake. Decorate with walnuts. Serve.

Ingredients (serves 10)

• 1/3 cup rice flour
• 1/3 cup gluten-free cornflour
• 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 1/2 tablespoons mixed spice
• 2 cups almond meal (ground almonds)
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 carrots, peeled, grated
• 4 eggs, separated
• 2/3 cup walnuts, chopped

• Cream cheese icing

• 250g reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup pure icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line an 8cm deep, 11cm x 21cm (base) loaf pan.
2. Sift flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice into a bowl. Add almond meal, sugar, carrot, egg yolks and half the walnuts. Mix well.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat eggwhites until stiff peaks form. Fold into carrot mixture. Pour into pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack.
4. Make cream cheese icing: Beat cream cheese, lemon juice and icing sugar until well combined. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
5. Spread icing over cake. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts and serve.

Ingredients (serves 12)

• Olive oil, to grease
• 2 (about 300g) carrots
• 1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
• 1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (80g) brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (185ml) oil
• 1/2 cup (125ml) golden syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

• Icing

• 250g spreadable cream cheese
• 1/2 cup (80g) icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease a 20cm (base) round cake pan lightly with oil, and line with non-stick baking paper. Peel and grate the carrots, and set aside. Sift the flours, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon into a large bowl.
2. Put the brown sugar, oil, golden syrup, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl. Use a balloon whisk to mix until combined.
3. Pour the oil mixture into the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to stir gently until just combined. Stir in the grated carrot.
4. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 1 hour. Set aside for 5 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
5. To make the icing, place the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix until well combined.
6. Spread the icing over the cake.

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 2 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3 carrots (about 400g), finely grated
• 250g sour cream
• 125ml vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tsp orange zest
• 170g crushed pineapple
• 60g toasted walnuts, chopped

• Icing

• 250g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 210g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2 tsp orange zest
• 1 1/2 tbsp orange juice
• Roughly chopped walnuts

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C. Grease and line the base and sides of a 22cm cake tin.
2. Sift flour and cinnamon into a bowl and add sugar and carrot, stirring to combine. Beat the sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla and orange zest together until smooth.
3. Add to the carrot mixture. Stir in the pineapple and nuts. Pour into the tin and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin then turn on to a rack to cool.
4. To make the icing: Beat everything except the nuts together with electric beaters until light and smooth. Spread on to the cake and sprinkle with the walnuts.

Notes

• 
  Tips: For a tropical twist, substitute walnuts with macadamias and use lime zest and juice in the icing. Make a layered carrot cake by doubling the icing recipe. When the cake has cooled, use a serrated knife and slice the cake. Spread the bottom half with half the icing and sprinkle with walnuts. Top with remaining cake and gently press down. Ice the top and sprinkle with remaining walnuts.