c a r r o t - c a k e - c o l l e c t i o n . . .
I love the texture of carrot cake, even when it's being cut, it has a different sound and feel to it (sounds weird but it’s true!).
I’d been watching Cook Yourself Thin a while ago which was a completely genius show that made me think a bit differently about what I put into food. They used sweet potato, beetroot and other root vegetables in cakes & desserts to make them more moist and, I think, replace some of the processed sugars or at least take out some of the calories... I don’t really like beetroot but one of my friends had made beetroot chocolate brownies and you really can’t taste the beetroot when it’s grated through (and probably the fact that it's mixed with chocolate)! The courgette in the carrot cake is the same...grated up you can’t taste it at all but it really adds to the texture of the cake. The mixture isn’t very cake mix-ey and looks more like a smoothie when you’re adding all the ingredients, but once it’s cooked it really is fab.
I love the texture of carrot cake, even when it's being cut, it has a different sound and feel to it (sounds weird but it’s true!).
I’d been watching Cook Yourself Thin a while ago which was a completely genius show that made me think a bit differently about what I put into food. They used sweet potato, beetroot and other root vegetables in cakes & desserts to make them more moist and, I think, replace some of the processed sugars or at least take out some of the calories... I don’t really like beetroot but one of my friends had made beetroot chocolate brownies and you really can’t taste the beetroot when it’s grated through (and probably the fact that it's mixed with chocolate)! The courgette in the carrot cake is the same...grated up you can’t taste it at all but it really adds to the texture of the cake. The mixture isn’t very cake mix-ey and looks more like a smoothie when you’re adding all the ingredients, but once it’s cooked it really is fab.
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| juicy carrot & courgette cake |
So for the recipe:
100g butter; 220g dark brown sugar; 2 eggs; 175g self-raising flour; 1tsp cinnamon; ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda; ½ courgette; 1 carrot; 1 tsp orange extract.
Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time and beat. Sieve in the flour, cinnamon, orange extract and bicarb. Wash and peel the carrot and courgette and grate into mixture.
Pour mix into tin and bake for 20 minutes at 180C.
Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time and beat. Sieve in the flour, cinnamon, orange extract and bicarb. Wash and peel the carrot and courgette and grate into mixture.
Pour mix into tin and bake for 20 minutes at 180C.
I made the recipe in cupcake form too - topped with orange icing (icing sugar, orange juice & a little cream cheese) with orange rind and walnut to decorate for an afternoon tea...and wine (obvs)... with some friends. Nom nom!
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| smaller-scale carrot & courgette cupcakes |
