Carrot, courgette & orange cakes

Carrot, courgette & orange cakes

Turn a garden glut into something amazing with this delicious, moist cake and freeze one for later too

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 2 x 20cm cakes, each cuts into 8-10 slices

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 25 mins

Freezable

Method

  1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the bases of 2 x 20cm round cake tins with baking parchment. Beat the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, bicarb, zest and the mixed spice together, then stir in the carrot and courgette. Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 20-25 mins or until a skewer inserted in comes out clean. Cool.
  2. To make the topping, mix enough of the orange juice into the icing sugar to give a thick, but drizzly icing. Drizzle over the cakes, then scatter with the zest and leave to set.
Try

Best way to freeze

Top decorated cakes with a circle of baking parchment, then wrap well with clingfilm or foil. Freeze for up to a month. To defrost, unwrap, sit on a serving plate and leave at room temperature.

Per serving

273 kcalories, protein 3.0g, carbohydrate 35.0g, fat 14.0 g, saturated fat 9.0g, fibre 1.0g, sugar 23.0g, salt 0.54 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2011.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • 27 August 2011

    DebsPink rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made this as a gluten free cake and it was absolutley delicious. Will definitley be making it again.

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  • 28 August 2011

    Sarah rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I will certainly make this again. It was loved by all the family, really easy to make and extremely moist - yum!!!

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  • 29 August 2011

    jojo rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made these cake's for the second time today in as many days. So moist and yummy- even those who turned their noses up went back for seconds!

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  • 31 August 2011

    pizzapastapesto rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Brilliant recipe - made it in two loaf tins instead of the round cake tins worked well just needed a little bit longer to cook.

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  • 02 September 2011

    Papa rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    really great recipe!! everyone loved it!

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  • 06 September 2011

    clairebezzin rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    simply delicious, will be making this one again.... greedy me made all the mixture in one big cake - nothing went to waste!

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  • 08 September 2011

    teasmith rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    I made this with lemon and lime zest as a family member is allergic to oranges - and it was delicious!! Extremely easy to make - absolutely delicious with lime icing, and kept well (though didn't last long, as was gobbled up by everyone who tried it!) I didn't expect the grated veg to be as visible in the finished cake, but it looked really pretty and gave a fabulous texture! People I told about this recipe were dubious about courgette in a cake (several people asked 'won't it be bitter?') - but everyone who tried this cake, loved it! (It definitely isn't bitter!) I'm planning to try these again as individual muffin sized cakes, and will also try freezing some (which was the plan for the first batch, but didn't get the chance!)... Great recipe!

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  • 11 September 2011

    Belkey rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Will definitely be making this again, but only as one cake as split into two it makes rather flat cakes!

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  • Binder photo jo

    25 September 2011

    jo rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This cake turned out delicious, it was really moist, and everybody loved it.

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  • 09 November 2011

    kvhodgson rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    This is a lovely moist cake, which is not too difficult to make. Lots of grating involved (carrots and courgettes) but the end-result is well worth the effort. I liked the orange icing, but my husband preferred the cake by itself, sans frosting. I think unless you have quite a sweet tooth you may wish to leave the cake un-iced. Courgette in a cake is delicious, not something I'd thought to do before.

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  • 19 November 2011

    south63 commented on this recipe

    Went down a treat. Will make this one again!

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  • 19 November 2011

    south63 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Forgot to give this a five star rating

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  • 09 December 2011

    Lizz rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Lovely cake. I made this as a gluten- free cake and as the Dove's Farm flour absorbs extra liquid, I put in the juice of the two oranges I had zested, so nothing went to waste. As a gluten free cake it is very crumbly and difficult to handle. I also found it needed another 15 mins at Gas Mark 2 to cook the cakes thoroughly. I would try these again, but as a loaf cake. I agree that the icing is very sweet- myabe a yogurt or cream cheese frosting would be less sweet? I wasn't expecting the veg to be so visible, but despite initial complaints from my husband- he said this is one of the freshest, zingyest tasting cakes ever!

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  • 07 February 2012

    LouJay rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made this cake a few days ago as one big cake. I love to cook but am a complete novice at baking. Delicious! So moist and lovely. I read in one of the previous comments that the cake kept a 'marbled effect', unfortunately mine didn't. I put the icing on too quickly so it didn't look as pretty. But it's lovely :) and even I managed it!

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  • 23 February 2012

    frangipani commented on this recipe

    scrumptious. definitely 5 star rating. Family loved it.

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  • 12 March 2012

    amichelles17 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Oh wow.....this cake was absolutely delicious......I didn't make the icing as the cake was so moist by itself that I didn't feel it needed it......it really surprised everyone too!!!! Going to make it again, right now and freeze it for a mid week treat!!! Yummy!!!!

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  • Binder photo Bec

    28 March 2012

    Bec rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Yum yum yum, this cake is fantastic!

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  • 19 June 2012

    VenusCreations rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Blooming lovely cake, even my 13year old daughter loved this after telling her it had courgette in. I didn't put much icing on as I'm not a huge fan of icing but the cake was already moist enough. I had to cook them for 40/45mins. Definately be baking these again.

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  • 27 June 2012

    nicoleinafrica rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    Quite good, but not the best I have made

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  • 02 July 2012

    Michyd29 commented on this recipe

    Ogm, this cake looks so good, have to make me one later ;)

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 2 x 20cm cakes, each cuts into 8-10 slices

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 25 mins

Freezable

Ingredients

  • 250g butter , softened
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 250g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • zest 2 oranges
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 100g carrots , grated
  • 100g courgettes , grated

FOR THE ICING

  • zest 1 orange , plus 2-3 tbsp juice
  • 140g icing sugar
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Per serving

273 kcalories, protein 3.0g, carbohydrate 35.0g, fat 14.0 g, saturated fat 9.0g, fibre 1.0g, sugar 23.0g, salt 0.54 g

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