No excuse needed!
Every day tends to be cake day here at L&F HQ and if it ends in a y, we think that’s a good enough reason to whip up our absolute all-time favourite, Carrot. As a special treat for you this week, and as a thank you for a record-breaking June, we thought we’d share the super secret recipe. It’s simpler than it looks!
INGREDIENTS
For the cake:
- 265g self-raising flour
- 335g light muscovado sugar
- 230ml vegetable oil
- 100g natural yoghurt
- 100g sultanas or raisins
- 3 grated carrots
- 50g walnuts
- 4 large eggs
- 2½ tsp cinnamon
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- Zest of half an orange
For the icing:
- Cream cheese
- Icing sugar
- Chopped walnuts
METHOD
1. In a jug, whisk the living daylights out of the vegetable oil, natural yoghurt (trust us), 4 large eggs, vanilla extract and the orange zest.
2. Mix the self-raising flour, light muscovado sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl and make sure there aren’t any lumps.
3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry, along with (sort of) 3 grated carrots, all the sultanas or raisins, and the walnuts – unless you’re allergic to them, in which case please don’t!
4. Pour the whole lot into two oiled and lined loaf tins and sling them in the oven at 180ºC, or the bottom right of an Aga for about half an hour – do the skewer test to check they’re done. Put them on a rack and turn them out when cool.
5. With a whisk (or by hand if you feel up to it), beat together the cream cheese and icing sugar to create a thick and creamy topping.
6. When it’s properly cool, slather the top of your cake with the icing mixture. Sprinkle over with chopped walnuts to finish.
7. Thank us later, after the five mile walk you’ll need to do in penance. Or join us shifting stock and packing orders for an hour or two; that should do it.
Life with Lochs & Fens. Simple is best.
