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Word and photos by Grace

As its one of my best bakes to make and eat, its got to be time for the healthy carrot cake recipe. Many cakes can be seen as unhealthy, calorific and damn right full of sugar and fat. In some cases this is true, but a carrot cake is different, it contains a fair bit of veg…therefore good for you!

If anyone would ask what my favourite thing to bake is, this would be at the top of the list. With the help of a Mary Berry recipe that I sometimes give a slight twist with the use of pecans instead of walnuts to add some sweetness, this cake always go down well with family & friends. This cake also went down very well at my new job, where baking is welcomed with open arms. Working in a cafe as part of a kids members club where healthy food, drinks & snacks are very important. I felt that a big indulgent cake was needed, just a bit of a sweet treat for the end of the week. Feast your eyes on this recipe and give it a go!

Ingredients

Cake mixture:

• 250 ml sunflower oil
• 4 large eggs
• 225 g light muscovado sugar
• 200 g carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
• 300 g self-raising flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 75 g pecans or walnuts, shelled and chopped, plus 8 halves to decorate

Icing:

• 50 g butter (room temperature)
• 25 g icing sugar
• 250 g full-fat cream cheese (room temperature)
• 3 drops of vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C/350°F/Gas 4). Grease two deep 20cm (8in) round sandwich tins and line the bases of the cake tins with baking parchment.
2. Put the oil, eggs and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Whisk until the mixture is well combined, lighter and noticeably thickened.
3. Gently fold the carrot into the cake batter, then stir in the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, ginger and chopped pecans/walnuts until
   evenly blended.
4. Spoon the mixture evenly between the tins.
5. Put the cakes in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes, or until golden brown, risen, and shrinking away from the sides of the tins. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
6. Make the icing: measure the butter, icing sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla extract into a bowl and whisk using a hand or electric whisk until smooth and thoroughly blended.
7. Spread half the icing on one cake, sit the other cake on top, and spread the remaining icing on top to make a swirl pattern. Decorate the top of the cake with the halved pecans/walnuts.