Bronte’s lovely carrot cake
This is the carrot cake is the result of a cake challenge from a guy (Jonas) who is not a big cake eater (we know). The challenge? Make the best carrot cake ever. This is the result. Maybe not better than your mamma's – but pretty good, if we may say so ourselves. Gently spiced, with crunch from the pinenuts and tons of flavour and moisture from the carrots plus a lush layer of tangy cream cheese topping – and very easy to make. Go on, give it a go.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 200 grams caster sugar
- 200 grams dark brown sugar
- 400 ml sunflower oil
- 400 grams self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar – can be bought here
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon – can be bought here
- 1½ teaspoons mixed spice
- 400 grams grated carrots
- 100 grams pine nuts
TOPPING
- 250 grams cream cheese
- juice and zest from a whole lime
- 75 grams icing sugar
Instructions
- Turn the oven on 170 degrees Celsius.
- Whisk the sugar and egg until light and airy, gradually adding the sunflower oil.
- Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl and fold into the egg mixture. Fold in the carrots and the pinenuts.
- Pour into a large tin (about 25x35cm) and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until done (when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean). Leave to cool.
- To make the topping, whisk all the ingredients well and spread over the cooled cake. Add some grated carrots and lime zest to decorate.
Notes
Photo credit: Peter Cassidy for Ryland Peters & Small.
