Carrot cake

Ok, I am trying to think calm thoughts, to be quiet and calm and think straight so I can try and string words together coherently. But the truth is I am SO EXCITED I can hardly contain myself, can hardly type because I am brimming over with delight and happiness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And the cause for such celebration, for such complete joy?
A recipe.
A simple, beautiful, old fashioned, no-frills, wonderful, ecsquisite recipe.
I can't begin to tell you how happy I have been this morning :: apron on, radio on, pottering around in my kitchen, baking this cake. Happy, happy happy.

So. Let me elaborate before you shake your head and assume I have gone completely off the rails into loony-land. This is all about Carrot cake. Yes, carrot cake. Oh how I adore this cake! If you were to ask my Little People What is Mummy's Favourite Cake, they will instantly declare it to be Carrot cake. They know me, they know this to be The Truth.

But do you know what? Up until this very day, I have never ever been able to find a carrot cake recipe that produces a cake that works out. And even if the cake has somehow worked out (ie risen and been cooked properly, not too dry, not soggy in the middle etc) it is often not the exact sort of carrot cake I like. I don't like added extras (walnuts, sultanas, coconut, pineapple???). I prefer a light, airy sponge to  a dark, dense one, but it still has to be moist. I cannot stand dry cakes. And the frosting on top : I have never ever been able to make these work out either. Most recipes I have come across use a  cream cheese frosting, and for me this just does not work. The frosting never sets properly, it remains slippy and slidy and runny and just not right.
But today, in my quest to try just one more recipe to see if it could be The One, I hit gold.
I produced a cake which, in my humble opinion, ticks all the boxes of a perfect carrot cake.
Sponge :: light and airy, yet moist and tasty.
Ingredients :: simple.
Frosting :: NO cream cheese involved, this frosting recipe was a total revelation.

So let me share my find with you. It comes from a little neat booklet of recipes created by an old fashioned UK Flour company called Be-Ro.
One weekend when I was visiting the in-laws, M had produced the most amazing orange cake, so I asked if I could have the recipe. She showed me her little "Home Recipes" booklet from Be-Ro and I scribbled down 3 recipes that appealed to me at the time:: Moist orange cake, Strawberry Muffins and Carrot Cake.
I immediately liked the sound of the carrot cake recipe, because it is simple. I had quite high hopes for it being The One, just from looking at the ingredients list.

Into a bowl, put the following ::
225g Self Raising Flour
1/2 teaspoon ground mixed spice.

Stir in the following ::
150g soft, dark brown sugar (now I used light brown sugar cos that's all I had, and it worked great. Not sure how different the dark sugar would make it?)
150g grated carrot (2 medium carrots, I grated them very fine)

Make a well in the centre and add ::
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
150ml oil (now then, I used olive oil which is all I had, but truly this was not the best, should have been a light, flavourless oil)

Now Beat it! Yeah! Put music on and give it some welly! I used an electric whisk on High power, and really whisked it good. The mixture is sloppy, like a heavy batter.

Pour it into a lined tin (the recipe said an 11x7" tin but I don't have one, so I used my 8" square brownie pan).
Bake for 40mins, 180 C / 350 F / gas 4.

While the cake is baking, make the frosting.
Put into a heatproof bowl the following ::
50g butter
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
rind of half the orange.

Put in microwave for 45 secs or so until butter has melted.
Beat in 225g icing sugar until smooth.
This makes a lovely, pale yellow, orangey sweet topping. It is quite simply perfect.

Once the cake has cooled, spread the Frosting liberally over the top. My little touch was to add some finely shredded orange rind for decoration.

Cut into squares, and marvel at how light the sponge is, how well the zesty frosting sits in a  nice generous layer without sliding off.

Now make yourself a brew, sit in the sunniest part of the house and eat. Oh!!!! It is so so so perfectly cakey and good! Sweet and moist, light and airy. Almost too good to be true.
Eat one more piece just to be sure. Mmmmm yes it really is Delicious.

Ok, I need just one more bit to really, really make sure this is The One.
And it is.
The One.
Happy happy happy.

Comments

[Lesley]

oh i just refreshed mypage and there was a lovely delicious cake post waiting for me :-) wow that looks truly scrumptious - lemon drizzle is my fav and the one i make lots but definately will try this!
Lesley x

[Lisa]

Oh god the diet will be gone forever!!! they look fantastic I have to make them :-)

[Ange]

NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
I've put myself on a baking ban cos I'm trying to lose weight. And you post the perfect Carrot Cake receipe. The very thing I announced in the office yesterday I was CRAVING.......
I shall have to try it another time - or maybe this weekend with my little man!

[karan]

Love your attic
Love your blog
Love your humour
Love your style
LOVE YOUR CAKE!!!
SENDING YOU MY LOVE KARAN

[Natalie]

Carrot cake is my absolute favourite cake too - I will definitely try the recipe as I also own the be-ro book - It was one of the first books I owned when I left home 15 years ago! The trouble is, my kiddies won't eat it if I tell them its got carrots in it (like the Peter Kay joke - CHEESE cake? - A cake made of CHEESE???!) - Hope you've seen Peter Kay or else you'll wonder what I'm on! - Nat x

[m]

That looks good ... do you really melt the butter for the frosting? or just soften it, like making butter cream?

[Pink feather paradise]

oh wow!

**Alex**

[Pink feather paradise]

I am sorry words failed me for a second there, I am going to try it but as I have said before I can never make cakes work but I will try again!

thanks Alex

[kathy]

Hi there, Bugger, there goes the diet... guess what I will be making this weekend! Kathyx PS. Will speak to Willemien about the Spring day there will be 5 of us (hopefully) which is great as that is the max. anyway! Really, really looking forward to meeting you at CL Christmas Fair.x

[Maddy]

OK now I'm going to have to bake that cake cos you said it is the best and I too love, no love is far too weak, I LOVE carrot cake toooo. mmmmmmmmmmmmm

[periwinkle]

I'm off to buy some carrots - right now :-)
Lisa x

[Fiona]

Oh that sounds yummy. I want to make it this weekend! Oh dear, I am not going to fit into my Wedding dress at this rate! I think I have the book you mention. Does it have a funny old fashioned picture of a child doing baking on the front? It's a great little book. I think mine used to belong to my Grandma and is very worn but I use it a lot as it has so many good basic recipes in it.

[attila]

Our favourite cake; going shopping tonight so ingredients will be on my list in 2 minutes! thank you, and am still making the sweetpotato fish cakes!

[Mary Poppins]

You little Imp you :) Do you know I have had no cooking facilities for two months, i also have a very sweet tooth and My favourite cake is the good olde Carrot Cake too :) I shall enjoy the wait and keep looking at your delightful photographs of the cake, now when is that bloomin range coming :) X

[do you mind if i knit]

Carrot cake is my favourite too!!!!!!!!!! Of all the cake in the world!
I still have your recipe for lemon drizzle cake waiting to be made, and this one is definately going to join the queue.............. Thankyou Lucy!

[Roanne]

Yumm!!!!!

I've tried lots of different carrot cake recipes too, plus carrot cakes in cafes and carrot cakes from supermarkets. I can't resist them.
So it's Friday afternoon, I've got all the ingredients, the baking tin has been measured (9"x8")so we're off......

I think they'd be nice for Halloween - the squares decorated with something .... um witchy? or maybe just orangey!
Thanks so much for the recipe! x

[Ange]

I meant to congratulate you earlier for taking a photo whilst you were whisking!!! Multi-tasking!

[cathleen]

This looks drop dead yummy. I love the idea of an orangey frosting instead of the usual heaviness of cream cheese frosting. Thanks for giving the recipe...just have to figure out the right amount of ingredients to add. Oh, and nice photos...I want to eat the pics because they look so up close and real.

[jane]

I have the family coming for afternoon tea on Sunday and can't wait to try this recipe out. It looks GORGEOUS. Thank you.

[Alice C]

dammit - I see carrot cake in my IMMEDIATE future - just when I had planned something low calorie and virtuous this weekend.

[Jennifer]

i couldnt help but take a peek - mmmmmmmm lucy it looks absolutely divine!!!

will make very soon, but trying to hold off til after monday though..lol

[sarah]

This looks good will try this thanks for sharing!
Sarahx

[Vanessa]

Eye candy!

It looks great, I may try it tomorrow!

If not I am having a portion at my local cafe.

Vanessa x

[Joanne]

Oh Yum!! I'm literally drooling on the screen, lol :) I LOVE carrot cake and so will definitely be trying this! My friend makes the most delicious choc chip cookies and I'm sure she said the recipe is from an old Be-Ro book! joanne x

[Lisa]

Another carrot cake lover here.
Kitchens up and down the country will be smelling of mixed spice and orange juice as we all get whisking!
Thanks for sharing.
xx