Happy Birthday Nick!

Nick loves carrot cake. So when I asked him last year what cake he would like me to make for his birthday, he replied “A carrot cake, please”. This year I again asked him, what cake would you like for your birthday, and again I received the same answer, perhaps with a tiny bit of reluctance this time. For some reason he thought I may not want to make another carrot cake. It’s been one year since I made one and I certainly don’t think that’s too short a time between carrot cakes.

I have tried a few carrot cake recipes, although the brown sugar, cinnamon and golden syrup in this recipe produce a lovely flavour in the cake. I was a bit reluctant when I saw how much oil went into the cake, although it helps make the cake very moist.

I also added ½ cup of roughly chopped walnuts (another request from Nick). The walnuts suited the cake nicely, although there is much to be said about my icing… I am in need of practice and a few tips too.

This recipe is from Taste.com.au – a website which I am constantly visiting or directed to when searching for recipes.

Carrot cake

Serves: 12
Olive oil, to grease
2 or 3 (about 300g) carrots
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (80g) brown sugar
3/4 cup (185ml) oil
1/2 cup (125ml) golden syrup
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

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

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.

Put the brown sugar, oil, golden syrup, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl. Use a balloon whisk to mix until combined.

Pour the oil mixture into the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to stir gently until just combined. Stir in the grated carrot.

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.

To make the icing, place the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix until well combined.

Spread the icing over the cake.

Part of Nick’s birthday present from me was a lemon tree, to be planted in the lovely gardens of our first home, when we move in very shortly. Hopefully we’ll get a lot of fruit from it to use in our cooking – savouries, sweets and drinks too.

My sister also wanted to get Nick a tree, their tree was already bearing the most fantastic fruit of all: A chocolate tree…

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