31 August 2012

trowel to table in three short hours

Four posts in one week? Yes, I'm staying rather close to home and need something to take my mind off impending labour. I thought last night might have been the night. Turned out it wasn't. Can't be far off.

So, let me share something tasty and seasonal with you instead.

A little over a year ago, my second ever blogpost was only read by one person I think (and she kinda had to, she's one of my best friends). A mawkish piece of navel gazing that we won't dwell on. But the subject matter, carrot cake, is very important and deserves to be revisited.

Yesterday, The Boss and I pulled up all of our remaining crop of Chantenay carrots, amounting to about 1.5lb. Actually, she pulled them up, and did the comedy falling over backwards thing when they popped out of the soil. That's why I left it to her, it's funnier on a leggy kid than a massively pregnant heifer. She bounces.

And so, here's a revisit of the yummiest carrot cake recipe I know (even better with homegrown carrots rather than jumbo imported Australian ones that we had to use in Singapore). Details follow the photos.

It's so delicious that I actually think icing slightly ruins it. And it's perfect for making with kids because a whisk and spoon suffices: no need for electronic gadgets with scary finger-chopping potential. (Though I do use the grater attachment on the food processor these days, turning the tedious carrot-grating bit into the work of mere moments.)





with homegrown raspberries - therefore virtually a health food





Carrot cake
6 oz wholemeal flour
3 oz self-raising flour
6 oz muscavado sugar
6 oz soft brown sugar
3 large eggs
6 floz sunflower oil
55ml sour cream
2 tspn vanilla essence
1 tspn grated nutmeg
2 tspn cinnamon
1 tspn bicarbonated soda
½ tspn salt
11 oz grated carrot
3 oz dessicated coconut


Bowl 1: Eggs, oil, vanilla, sour cream. Mix the wet ingredients together (by hand is fine, no need to whip it into a frenzy) and then sieve in sugars.

Bowl 2: Sieve the flours, nutmeg, cinnamon, soda, baking powder and salt together.

Fold the dry mix into the wet mix.

Fold in the carrot and coconut.

Bake in a large tin at 150C for 90-120 minutes. (I find 90 long enough, but test with a skewer.)

These James Grieve apples that are ripening so beautifully had better watch out. I've got treacle-y plans for them next... but in the meantime, I'm off to eat some cake.


almost impossible to believe these colours are straight out of camera!











Post Script:
So strangely it seems that today is THE day for blogging about carrot cake. What can I say, great minds thinking alike?! Here's a gluten-free version from the Domestic Sluts, and for something completely different, here's Shu Han's Singaporean carrot cake (warning: this stuff is seriously delicious).


13 comments:

  1. Mmmmm that looks VERY good. Proper carrot cake.
    The sunflower is so sunny and cheering.
    Exciting that your body is obviously getting itself prepared! Eeek. :)

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  2. Take care of yourself. I hope your time is soon and you have a healthy delivery.

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  3. Who knew that carrot cake would be a hot topic today....thanks for the recipe!!

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  4. Bon courage! (And thanks for the recipe!)

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  5. Hah how freaky that everyone's posting carrot cake today! I must say, mine is VERY different from most people's idea of carrot cake, I'm chuckling imagining people's response when they go to my post. I have to try your carrot cake recipe! Maybe when i get back to london, because yes. unfortunately, here it's the jumbo australian-imported ones I get.

    (love the new header, it's adorable!)

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    1. My carrot cake recipe is in great company with this one today! I am definitely going to try those Singaporean carrot cakes, I think they're naturally gluten free.

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    2. Yup they are, they;re made with rice flour! But unfortunately, if you;re looking for a dessert cake of sorts, you're prob not going to be very pleased with this recipe.. ;)

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  6. Replies
    1. Never been able to wrap my head around Twitter I'm afraid Vanessa. Why d'you ask?

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  7. Perfect, carrot cake is my son in-law's favorite.
    Take care of yourself and maybe this weekend? Or you could wait and have the baby on the 6th [my birthday :)].

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  8. That cake looks amazing!! I hope you aren't waiting too much longer for bubs to arrive!

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  9. If the icing ruins it, that's saying something - usually I eat carrot cake JUST for the icing.

    Sending fond, serene and gentle 'PUSH!!!!!!!' thoughts your way. Good luck xx

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  10. Gosh that looks scrumptious! I adore carrot cake. I also love the photo of the bee on the sunflower – beautiful. Also loving your new header by the way (can't remember if I've previously said that or not). Good luck with the wee dragon (if it hasn't already made an appearance!).

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