Carrot, Orange and Pistachio Cake

Carrot cake freshened with orange zest and a little texture from pistachio nibs comes together to make an altogether grown up carrot cake. Taken from the excellent Dan Lepard, I find his recipes tend to err on the side of complicated, so I’ve tweaked this to make it a little more user friendly whilst maintaining the seductive ... By all means use his recipe and look at others too, they are not your run of the mill cake recipes and all the better for it too.


Cakes come into the realm of true indulgence when iced, and look particularly pleasing a top a cake stand, I used a very simple cream cheese icing, with a little lime juice and icing sugar. The other day, my friend Kat brought me some carrot cake she made with cinnamon cream cheese icing, something I’ve never thought to do but delicious! I’ve lined this up to try with my next carrot cake.

I normally have some tahini knocking around to make hummus, it also make a very good sauce in its own right that’s perfect for roasted vegetables; here are some other recipe ideas. I'm sure no else is as silly as me, but a word of warning, do not keep tahini in the fridge. According the jar, it should be stored at room temperature and gets hard and difficult to use when kept in the fridge!

Whilst aimlessly browsing in Waitrose today, I saw a beetroot and tahini dip, I’m going to do some research, give it a try and get back to you, its always good to have new beetroot recipes...

Ingredients
75g tahini
125ml sunflower oil
Zest of 2 oranges, and 100ml juice (about ½ orange)
200g caster sugar
3 eggs
3 medium carrots (about 200g) grated finely
100g chopped pistachios
175g wholemeal flour (plain will do fine)
2½ tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg

• Grease and line the base of 2 sandwich tins and preheat the oven to 180C.
• Whisk the tahini, oil zest and sugar until smooth, next whisk in the eggs.
• Add the carrots and mix to distribute evenly, your mixture should now be a vivid orange colour! Add the orange juice and stir thoroughly.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg into a separate bowl and mix together. Combine with the carrot mixture and fold together.
• Finally, fold in the pistachios and transfer to the cake tins. Bake for 20-25mins until the tops are golden and firm to the touch and a cake tester comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before icing.

Icing
100g cream cheese
25g icing sugar
Juice and zest of half a lime.

• Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until softened, add the lime juice and beat until smooth.
• Sift in the icing together and stir until dissolved.

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Carrot Cake

This picture probably doesn't do it justice, but this is the easiest, tastiest carrot cake recipe ever. Its an american recipe, so uses cups, always a good thing in my book, no measuring! It also uses oil instead of butter, so the finished cake is moist and lasts for ages. You can have it as is, or add a little orange zest and juice, chopped walnuts, raisins. My friend (possibly the best cake maker I know) found this recipe a few years ago and since then I don't think we've veered from it. Everybody loves it and wants the recipe, but so far, I've managed to resist giving it, until now...

I've been a bit vague with the amount of carrots, but I can never be bothered to grate and measure 3 cups of carrots, so I usually grate roughly 3 medium carrots. The whole point is to use a cheap ingredient (carrot) to bulk the cake out, so it won't matter if you veer slightly with quantities.

I also had a bit of a disaster with the icing, hence the runny look. I usually just beat a small tub of cream cheese with a couple of tbsps of sifted icing sugar and maybe a squeeze of lime juice. This time I used orange juice instead (I used the zest in the cake), who knows, maybe I used too much juice, so beware!

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
2 cups plain flour ( a mix of wholewheat and white is nice)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 medium carrots, grated

This couldn't be simpler, mix all the ingredients except the carrots in a bowl, add the carrots et voila! This makes enough for a generous sandwich cake or works well as muffins. I've also made it in a large rectangle tin and spread icing on top to make cake slabs. Read more...

Breakfast Muffins

Well, winter has arrived, we're all wrapped up in coats, scarves and gloves have been dusted off, we even had snow! Of course, this means that in the vegetable box there are a lots and lots of carrots, onions and potatoes. This is no bad thing, I love carrots. The thing is, they seem to be going limp disappointingly quickly, which again isn't exactly a disaster, carrots roast up so well, especially in a soup, maybe with some lentils?

This time though, I decided carrot cake was the way to go, I started off with this carrot cake recipe intending to make muffins, but then as I started, I kind of got carried away, adding some plump juicy raisins, walnuts and oats for texture, a grated apple because, well, why not? So, what came out of the oven wasn't exactly carrot cake, but still delicious in a plainer sense, more something I can carry out the door with me in the morning to munch on on the tube, feeling a teeny bit healthy, well... all those oats, walnuts, carrots and apples!


Makes 12-15 muffins

250g sugar
200g flour
100g oats
1tsp salt
2tsp cinnamon
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
250ml oil
4 eggs
3 medium carrots, grated
1 apple, grated
100g walnuts, chopped
100g raisins

• Boil the kettle and cover the raisins with the hot water in a bowl.
• Meanwhile measure out the sugar, flour, oats, salt, cinnamon and soda in a large bowl.
• Add the oil and whisk well to combine.
• Crack the eggs in and whisk.
• Drain the water off the now plump raisins, add to the batter along with the carrots, apple and walnuts. Stir well.
• Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases, bear in mind that the mixture doesn't rise an awful lot so you can fill the cases at least 2/3 full.
• Bake at 180C for about 20mins until golden and a skewer comes out clean.

Read more...

Carrot and Pecan Cake

This cake was inspired by the delicious Gails in Hampstead. We went there for a post lunch cake and coffee (and promptly spent £10!). I decided on the carrot cake, a big blousy affair covered in cream cheese icing, moist and absolutely delicious.

It inspired me to make my own, especially as there are usually a few carrots lingering at the bottom of the fridge. This cake is a mish mash of flavours, yoghurt and oil for moistness, chopped dates reduce the amount of sugar needed and add a touch of caramel, a hint of orange and plenty of chopped pecans.

Is it as good as Gails? I think so and I don't have to pay 4 quid for a slice...



Ingredients

75g yoghurt
125ml sunflower oil
zest 1 orange and juice of 1/2
150g sugar
100g dates, finely chopped into a paste
3 eggs
175g plain flour
2 1/2tsp baking powder
2tsp cinnamon
3 carrots, peeled and finely grated
100g pecans, chopped

Whisk the sugar, oil, zest and yoghurt in a large mixing bowl.
Add the eggs one at a time and whisk in thoroughly followed by the orange juice and dates.
Sift in the flour, baking powder and cinnamon and mix well.
Stir in the carrots and pecans.
Transfer to 2 lined sandwich tins and bake at 180C for 30mins until golden and a cake tester comes out clean.

For the icing, beat a 200g tub of cream cheese cheese with 200g icing sugar and a squeeze of orange.
Read more...

Beetroot Cake

Don't be put off by the title, think carrot cake...

I've started getting an Abel and Cole veg box, which I really love. They also do lots of other products, so I've been getting eggs delivered every week and I've just ordered some mackerel caught off the coast of Cornwall, that's some sustainable fish. As lovely as it is having all these vegetables at my disposal, I am only one person and there was a lot of veg, I got through most of it, but was left with some sad looking beetroots at the bottom of the fridge. Now, I love beetroot and it can be used in all manner of ways, (I'm thinking beetroot and mackerel salad next week) but this cake recipe caught my eye and I do always like to have cake around. I added some oats to this too, so it is positively healthy eating.

Ingredients

200g raw beetroot, peeled and grated (about 2-3 medium beetroot)
100g sultanas, soaked in boiling water and drained
150g sugar
3 eggs
150ml sunflower oil
1tbsp baking powder
150g plain flour
100g porridge oats
2tsp cinnamon

Whisk the eggs, oil and sugar together. Then fold in the flour, oats, baking powder and cinnamon. Finally, fold in the beetroot and sultanas, Mix thoroughly and pour into a greased and lined cake tin. Bake for about an hour at 180°C. This worked well in a 20cm round cake tin, but I think would also make a nice loaf cake. Next time I think I will also try icing it with some sort of cream cheese icing. Read more...

Brixton's Bazaar

Anyone who loves to cook harbours fantasies of having their own market stall. Naturally, I have always wanted one, but having worked in the food buisness for a long time, I know that it is a lot of work for not a lot of reward. That said, I found myself agreeing to fill a spot at the up and coming Brixton's Bazaar - a market that's just got going opposite the Ritzy and in time will be on the newly renovated Windrush Square complete with live music and performances.



So, a Saturday of baking ensued and my friend Kat and I produced a pile of brownies, lemon drizzle cake, carrot cake, vanilla cupcakes and chocolate Guinness cake. All the usual suspects but so good when homemade (well). Of course, the chocolate Guinness cake is a little different, a Nigella gem (obviously) - you do get a hint of Guinness in the cake, but really you just end up with a rich, dense, almost fudgy cake that is so easy to make (recipe here).


Things were a little quiet as the market has only just got going, but there were still plenty of people and it was so satisfying to see people enjoying the cakes - there were a few double takes when people tried samples and said "wow, that is really good!". Having said that, several people seemed genuinely surprised that we actually made them ourselves! Of course, in my experience, the best bit about doing a market is the sense of community and the swapping of goods at the end. In exchange for some leftover cakes we got some olives, a chorizo and some delicious creole fish cakes. Read more...

Carrot and Coconut Cake

Inspired by this recipe on 101cookbooks.com - I was all set to make a crazy sugar free super healthy cake. Thwarted by my local shops and with a distinct lack of dates, this isn't as healthy as I'd hoped for. But, like I said if you want to do that, make this recipe instead.

What I did come up with was a tropical carrot cake if you will, packed with dessicated coconuts, raisins and carrots. Perfect for an afternoon pick me up and I'd imagine all the better with some cream cheese frosting.


Ingredients

125ml oil
225g soft brown sugar (or 200g caster sugar )
3 eggs
3 medium carrots, grated
175g plain flour
2 1/2tsp baking powder
2tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp nutmeg
50g raisins, soaked in boiling water for 5mins and drained
100g dessicated coconut

• Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan 160C. Oil and line the base and sides of a loaf tin with baking paper. I usually just use one big piece to line the base and the longer sides and don't bother with the shorter ones.
• Whisk the sugar, oil and eggs together until well combined.
• Sprinkle in the cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and flour, using a wooden spoon, stir into a thick batter.
• Stir in the carrots, coocnut and raisins. Spoon into the loaf tin.
• Bake in the ven for 30-40mins until its firm and springy on top and a cake tester comes out clean.

Read more...