carrot cake

I often make this cake for other people and when a friend had a birthday this weekend this cake was requested.

The recipe I use is from Tessa Kiros's 'falling cloudberries* - a world of family recipes'  and I have to admit that the reason I first picked up this cookery book was because of its intriguing title.  

The book's introduction provides the first clue to Tessa's heritage and how she grew up with a wide variety of cultural influences: Finnish, Greek, Cypriot, Italian, South African and British.  

'My mother's name is Sirpa Tuula Kertuu Peiponen my father's name is George'.

Although not specific to any of the countries and cultures that Tessa grew up with, she includes Carrot Cake as one of her favourite recipes...it's certainly one of mine.  

Carrot Cake recipe                                   

Ingredients - cake                                            
  4 eggs, lightly beaten
  250g (2 cups) caster sugar
  185 ml (3/4 cup) sunflower oil
  300g (2 1/2 cups) plain (cake) flour    
  3/4 tsp salt
  2 tsp baking powder

  1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  2 tsps ground cinnamon
  400g (14oz) carrots, peeled and grated
  55g (1/2 cup) chopped walnuts

Ingredients - frosting
  180g (6oz) butter, softened                        
  250g (2 cups) icing (confectioner's) sugar
  180g (6oz) cream cheese                   

Oops, I may have poked the cake
with the oven glove when I was
checking it -
it'll be fine once it's frosted!

  3 drops vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F/    Gas 4.

Method

1. Beat the eggs and sugar until creamy then whisk in the oil.
2. Sift together the flour, salt, baking, powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon and mix into the egg/sugar/oil mixture.
3. Add the carrots and walnuts and combine thoroughly.
4. Scrape the batter into a lined cake tin (24cm/9") and bake for about an hour.
5. Use a skewer to check the cake is cooked. Cool the cake on a baking tray. (I usually place it upside down on the cooling tray for a few minutes to slightly flatten the top before continuing to cool it the right way up).

To make the frosting: whip the butter and icing sugar together before mixing in the cream cheese and vanilla extract.  Spread onto the cooled cake, and serve.

  *Cloudberry - an amber coloured edible fruit similar to a raspberry.