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Garden carrot cake

Young girl decorating a garden carrot cake

Garden carrot cake

Name: Garden carrot cake
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 150ml vegetable oil plus extra for the tin; 180g self-raising flour; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp mixed spice; grating of nutmeg; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 2 eggs; 1 orange zested; 150g light brown soft sugar; 100g pecans roughly chopped; 150g carrots coarsely grated; 1 tbsp milk (optional); 100g unsalted butter softened; 150g soft cheese; 175g icing sugar sifted; green food colouring gel; edible carrot and flower decorations

Helena Busiakiewicz

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Serves 10 - 12

Easy

Prep: 1 hr

Cook: 55 mins

plus cooling

A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.3 ratingsRate

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Get kids cooking in the kitchen and make our carrot cake topped with a garden-themed scene. Inspired by the book Peter Rabbit, children will love helping out

Vegetarian

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

150ml vegetable oil

plus extra for the tin
180g self-raising flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
grating of nutmeg
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs
1 orange

zested
150g light brown soft sugar
100g pecans

roughly chopped
150g carrots

coarsely grated
1 tbsp milk

(optional)

For the decoration

100g unsalted butter

softened
150g soft cheese
175g icing sugar

sifted
green food colouring gel
edible carrot and flower decorations

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Nutrition: Per serving (12)

kcal446
fat29g
saturates8g
carbs40g
sugars28g
fibre2g
protein4g
salt0.7g

Method

step 1

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Oil a 900lb loaf tin and line with baking parchment. Whisk the flour, spices and bicarbonate of soda together in a bowl to combine.
step 2

Beat the eggs, orange zest and brown sugar together in a stand mixer or using an electric whisk until fluffy, pale and doubled in volume. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the vegetable oil (the mixture will deflate a bit) and whisk until combined.
step 3

Sift over the dry ingredients and fold in with the pecans and carrots, adding the milk if the batter needs to be loosened slightly. Scrape the batter into the loaf tin and bake for 50-55 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 mins, then remove to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
step 4

For the icing, beat the butter using an electric whisk until pale and creamy. Beat in the soft cheese to combine. Add the icing sugar, 1 tbsp at a time until smooth, then mix in several drops of the green food colouring gel. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a multi-opening plain nozzle and pipe the icing over the top to make grass. Decorate with carrot and flower decorations. Will keep chilled for two to three days.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2023

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A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.3 ratings

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