Heavenly carrot cake
Heavenly carrot cake
INGREDIENTS
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
2¼ cups (500g) raw sugar
1½ cups (375ml) canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
4½ cups (500g) walnuts, toasted, chopped coarsely
6 medium (720g) carrots, grated coarsely
2 cups (300g) plain flour
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon salt
Icing
100g cream cheese, softened
50g butter, softened
250g pure icing sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons lemon juice, approximately
METHOD
Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Grease two 11cm x 21cm (base measurement) loaf pans and line the base and two long sides of each with baking paper.
Combine the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla in a large bowl. Reserve ½ cup of the walnuts for decoration. Add the remaining walnuts and the grated carrot to the egg mixture. Add the combined sifted flour, soda, mixed spice and salt egg mixture and stir until well combined.
Divide the mixture between the prepared loaf pans and smooth the surface. Bake for 1½ hours or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Stand in pans for 5 minutes before turning onto wire racks to cool.
Icing
Beat cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer or food processor until smooth. Add the icing sugar and process until smooth. Add enough lemon juice to make a smooth, speadable consistency.
Spread icing over cold cakes and decorate with reserved walnuts.
Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.
Cook's note: This recipe is easy to halve to make 1 loaf. Don't grated the carrot too finely as it will be too juicy, making the mixture too wet and the finished loaf heavy. Cake will keep in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 3 days. Freeze iced or uniced cake in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature.
Congratulations to our June Online Prize Recipe winner, Wendy Atkins of Port Melbourne, Victoria for sharing her delicious recipe for Heavenly carrot cake with us.
Photography by Julie Crespel and styling by Marie-Helene Clauzon.
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